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After Operation Midnight Hammer, the US president praises the raid on nuclear sites and proposes “Make Iran Great Again”. The IAEA and the Pentagon remain cautious about the actual damage.

Operation Midnight Hammer, launched by the United States against Iranian nuclear sites, has caused “monumental damage”, according to President Donald Trump, who is now going on the offensive politically as well. After rejoicing in the success of the raid, Trump launched a new slogan on his social media platform Truth: MIGA, Make Iran Great Again, explicitly alluding for the first time to regime change in Tehran.

‘It is not politically correct to talk about “regime change”, but if the current regime does not make Iran great, why not change it?’ wrote the president in a post that marks a shift in American rhetoric, which until now had been more cautious.

The White House, at least formally, maintains a more restrained line. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, at a press conference at the Pentagon, clarified: ‘This mission was not aimed at regime change but at neutralising threats related to the nuclear programme.’ General Dan Caine, chief of staff, also preferred not to comment: ‘It is too early to say whether Iran still has operational nuclear capabilities.’

Visible and uncertain damage

According to US intelligence, B-2 bombers dropped 14 GBU bombs on sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, while a submarine launched dozens of Tomahawk missiles. Satellite images released in the following hours show extensive damage to surface infrastructure, particularly in Isfahan, where 18 buildings were destroyed or severely damaged.

In Natanz, the craters created by the GBUs measure over five metres, in the areas housing the centrifuges. And in Fordow, the most protected uranium enrichment site, at least six impacts are visible. However, many facilities are located under a mountain, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has made it clear that at present “it is not possible to assess the underground damage”.

The Institute for Science and International Security in Washington has provided a more alarming assessment: three of the entrances to the underground tunnels in Isfahan have collapsed, with the possibility that the collapse of the external structures has sealed the nuclear material, preventing its dispersion.

The unknowns about Tehran

Iranian sources reported partial evacuations in Fordow prior to the attack. Officially, the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation has assured that the programme will continue, while international pressure is mounting to avoid escalation.

Trump, meanwhile, claims “a clear military victory”, praising the work of the pilots and the armed forces. But with the acronym MIGA, he also sends a political message: Iran, according to the US president, must change its leadership.

This statement could redefine the American stance in the Persian Gulf, just as the Iranian Majlis considers closing the Strait of Hormuz and global energy markets prepare for a new phase of instability.

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