US bases 'not strength but greatest vulnerability': IRGC

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) today (22 June) said "the criminal American regime" has not learned the lessons of past Middle East wars and will suffer the consequences after bombing Iran.

"The US's repetition of past failed follies demonstrates strategic incompetence and disregard for the realities on the ground in the region," the IRGC said in a statement.

It added that instead of learning from repeated failures, Washington has effectively placed itself on the front lines of aggression by "directly attacking peaceful [nuclear] installations."

According to Al Jazeera, the paramilitary force said the flight locations of the US aircraft that participated in the attack "have been identified and monitored".

The number, dispersion and size of US military bases in the region are not a strength but have doubled their vulnerability, the Revolutionary Guard warned.

Earlier today, Iranian state television declared that all American civilians and military personnel in the region are now considered "legitimate targets" in the wake of US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

The warning came after US President Donald Trump confirmed that American forces had joined Israel in launching coordinated strikes on Iran.

"We have completed our very successful attack on the three nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The US military carried out airstrikes on three locations in Iran early today, marking a direct intervention in Israel's ongoing offensive aimed at dismantling Iran's nuclear infrastructure.

The strikes targeted the underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility—considered the heart of Iran's nuclear defences—with six 15-tonne bunker-buster bombs dropped from B-2 stealth bombers. In addition, 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles were reportedly launched from US submarines, hitting sites in Natanz and Isfahan, according to Fox News.

Trump confirmed the operation during an interview, describing it as a "precision mission" aimed at crippling Iran's nuclear capabilities.

"All planes are safely on their way home," he wrote on social media, praising US forces and adding, "Now is the time for peace."

However, Iran announced that its nuclear facilities in Isfahan, Fordo and Natanz showed "no signs of contamination" following US military strikes on the sites.

According to Iranian state media, the country's National Nuclear Safety System Center released a statement confirming that radiation detectors had found no evidence of a radioactive leak.

"There is no danger to the residents living around the aforementioned sites," the statement said.

The International Atomic Energy Agency also noted that previous Israeli strikes on similar facilities had not resulted in any detected radiation release in surrounding areas.

According to AP, the current military campaign, named "Operation Rising Lion" by Israel, began with coordinated strikes on Iranian nuclear sites on 13 June. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the operation targeted multiple nuclear facilities across Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the campaign, calling it a preemptive measure against an "imminent threat to Israel's very survival" posed by Iran's nuclear program.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on that day confirmed several senior military officials and scientists were killed in the Israeli airstrikes on Tehran. Among those killed was Iran's former national security chief, Ali Shamkhani.

"The assassination of Ali Shamkhani was also confirmed," Iranian state media reported.

These attacks are considered the most serious Iran has faced since the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.