Iran-Israel War: A New Era of Direct Confrontation in the Middle East

The U.S. also directly intervened militarily on June 22, conducting bunker-buster strikes on Iran's Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan nuclear facilities. This direct American involvement underscored the severity of the crisis and the international community's concern over Iran's nuclear program and regional stability. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei later claimed Iran had delivered a "slap to America's face" with a strike on a U.S. airbase in Qatar, though the U.S. described it as a limited attack with no casualties.