The US commander-in-chief urges Tehran to make peace after ordering first attacks on Iranian nuclear sites

President Donald Trump has warned Tehran to "make peace" or face further attacks, just hours after the United States carried out "massive precision strikes" on Iran's nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.

In a televised address from the White House on Saturday night, the US president told the nation: "Our objective was the destruction of Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity and a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror."

"Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success," he declared. "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated."

Trump also warned Iran against retaliation, calling it the "bully of the Middle East."

Israel launched its Operation Rising Lion as a "preemptive" strike, allegedly aimed at preventing the Islamic Republic from acquiring a nuclear bomb. Tehran, which has consistently maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful, called the attack an act of war and responded with missile and drone strikes of its own.

In just one week, Israeli strikes have killed at least 430 Iranians and injured more than 3,500 civilians, according to Iran's Health Ministry - though other sources have reported higher death tolls. Israeli officials have reported 25 deaths and over 2,500 injuries.

Trump reiterated that "there will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days."

"Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight was the most difficult of them all, by far - and perhaps the most lethal," Trump warned.

"If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed, and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes," he said, adding: "There's no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight."

(RT.com)