Middle East Forum
Iran War Monitor
Decisive Action: The U.S. and Israel Confront the Iranian Threat
A historic military operation that reset the strategic balance in the Middle East, demonstrating the unwavering resolve of the United States and its indispensable ally, Israel in confronting the Iranian nuclear threat.
By Gregg Roman
June 22, 2025
The Strike—A Necessary and Decisive Blow
The United States' direct military action against Iran on June 22, 2025, was a historic and necessary measure to neutralize an existential threat to global security. This was not an act of aggression, but a righteous response to years of Iranian belligerence and its relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons.
The operation, executed with unparalleled precision, has fundamentally reset the strategic balance in the Middle East, demonstrating the unwavering resolve of the United States and Israel.
The Collapse of Diplomacy
1
Final Diplomatic Effort
The Trump administration engaged in Omani-mediated talks, setting a firm 60-day deadline for resolution.
2
Iran's Rejection
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed the core U.S. demand for "zero enrichment" as "excessive and outrageous."
3
Israeli Self-Defense
Israel engaged in a full-scale defensive war against Iran, with intelligence assessing it had only set back Iran's program by six months.
4
Window of Opportunity
A consensus emerged: Israel's campaign had "softened the ground," creating a unique window for decisive U.S. action.
Execution of the Strikes: "Awesome and Righteous Might"
On June 22, 2025, President Trump announced that the United States had executed a "very successful attack" on Iran's nuclear facilities, a mission he later hailed as a "spectacular military success".
The operation targeted the three pillars of Iran's illicit nuclear program:
  • Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant: Struck with a "full payload of BOMBS"
  • Natanz Nuclear Facility: Systematically dismantled
  • Isfahan Nuclear Site: Critical research complex neutralized
Military Capabilities Deployed
B-2 Stealth Bombers
Repositioned to the region, these advanced aircraft delivered multiple bunker-buster bombs to obliterate hardened facilities impervious to any other military's arsenal.
GBU-57A/B MOPs
30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrators designed to destroy deeply buried and hardened targets that conventional bombs cannot reach.
Tomahawk Cruise Missiles
Approximately 30 missiles launched from U.S. submarines, ensuring comprehensive destruction of the targets with precision guidance.
The Battle of the Narrative
American & Israeli Narrative
A clear and factual account of mission accomplished. The strikes were a resounding success, crippling Iran's two-decade-long quest for atomic blackmail and placing the onus for any further conflict squarely on Tehran.
Iranian Narrative
Predictable falsehoods. Officials claimed sites were evacuated "a while ago" and contained "no radioactive material," while simultaneously condemning the strikes as "barbaric" - contradictory messaging designed to save face.
Strategic Reality of the Strikes
Political Fallout—A World Confronts Reality
The decisive U.S. strikes sent shockwaves across the globe, drawing a clear line between those who stand for security and those who enable rogue regimes. The reaction has solidified the U.S.-Israel alliance, exposed the weakness of international institutions, and isolated Iran and its apologists.
1
U.S. Domestic Support
House Speaker Mike Johnson lauded the strikes as "America First policy in action," and Senator Lindsey Graham affirmed it was "the right call".
2
Constitutional Authority
While some raised procedural objections about congressional authority, the President acted decisively where years of congressional inaction and failed diplomacy had left a dangerous vacuum.
The Iranian Response
Tehran's response was a predictable mix of impotent rage and hollow threats. Officials decried the strikes as a "barbaric act" while threatening that all American personnel in the region are now "legitimate targets".
A senior IRGC official warned of attacks on U.S. bases, a desperate threat from a military apparatus that has been systemically degraded. These are not the statements of a confident power, but the last gasps of a cornered and weakened regime.
The International Arena
United Nations
Expressed "grave alarm" - demonstrating the UN's ineffectiveness in confronting existential threats and its preference for rhetoric over action.
IAEA
Warned of "grave consequences" - highlighting the danger of Iran's illicit program, which necessitated the strike in the first place.
Israel
Praised Trump's "bold decision" that "will change history" - solidifying the unbreakable U.S.-Israel alliance, the cornerstone of Middle East stability.
NATO/EU
Called for de-escalation after diplomatic efforts failed - exposing the failure of European appeasement policies and underscoring the necessity of American leadership.
Russia and China's Opportunistic Stance
Russia's Position
Condemned the strikes as "unprovoked" - opportunistic posturing by a U.S. adversary seeking to protect its client regime and undermine American influence in the region.
China's Response
Condemned "risky military actions" - a self-serving attempt to protect its economic interests in Iranian oil and portray itself as a peacemaker while enabling a rogue state.
Economic Shockwaves—The Price of Security
The U.S. military strikes will inevitably cause short-term volatility in global markets, but this is a small and necessary price to pay for neutralizing a threat that posed a far greater, long-term risk to the world economy.
1
Oil Price Surge
A temporary spike in oil prices is an expected reaction to the assertion of military power in the world's most vital energy corridor. This "risk premium" reflects the inherent instability caused by the Iranian regime itself.
2
Market Reaction
A temporary "risk-off" sentiment in global equities will be coupled with a flight to the safety and strength of the U.S. dollar and Treasury bonds, reinforcing America's position as the bedrock of the global financial system.
Macroeconomic Implications
Concerns about inflation are understandable, but they must be weighed against the catastrophic economic consequences of a nuclear-armed Iran. A sustained oil shock caused by a regional war initiated by a nuclear Iran would be infinitely more damaging than the temporary volatility caused by this decisive preventative action.
By eliminating the source of this long-term risk, the U.S. has acted to secure not just its own economic future, but that of the entire world. The strikes were not a risk to the global economy; they were an investment in its long-term health and security.
Strategic Implications—The Dawn of a New Reality
The U.S. strikes have shattered the failed status quo of the past four decades, replacing a policy of appeasement and containment with one of decisive action and American strength. This marks a new era in the Middle East, where the rules are no longer dictated by Tehran's threats, but by Washington's resolve.
Seizing Initiative
The United States and Israel have seized the escalatory initiative, demonstrating that the era of hiding behind proxies is over.
Clear Deterrence
President Trump has made it unequivocally clear that "ANY RETALIATION...WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER".
New Middle East
A new strategic reality where American strength ensures stability and security for allies.
The Future of Iran's Nuclear Program
The U.S. and Israeli strikes have delivered a crippling blow to Iran's nuclear program, setting it back by years, if not permanently. The destruction of irreplaceable infrastructure and the elimination of key scientific knowledge have shattered the regime's atomic dreams.
Arguments that this will strengthen Iran's resolve to acquire a weapon are naive and ignore the new reality. The regime's leaders are survivors, not suicidal ideologues. They have now seen that their pursuit of nuclear weapons will not bring them security, but will instead invite their own destruction.
U.S. Policy Victorious: Peace Through Strength
End of Failed Policies
The strikes represent the ultimate vindication of a policy of "Peace through Strength," marking the definitive end of the failed "maximum pressure" campaign.
American Resolve
The notion that America is divided and lacks the will for such action has been proven false. Under strong leadership, the United States has demonstrated its unwavering commitment.
Global Message
By crippling their key client in the Middle East, the U.S. has dealt a blow to Tehran and to the ambitions of the emerging "adversary entente" of Russia and China.
The Path to Victory: Strategic Scenarios
1
2
3
1
Most Likely: Iranian Capitulation
2
Possible: Regime Collapse
3
Contingency: Annihilation of Defiance
The successful military operation has created a historic opportunity to achieve a permanent solution to the Iranian threat. The goal is no longer containment or negotiation, but the unconditional surrender of the Iranian regime's nuclear ambitions and its regional aggression.
Military Dominance Recommendations
Enforce a Full Maritime Blockade
Interdict all Iranian shipping to halt oil exports and prevent any weapons smuggling. Declare that any vessel attempting to break the blockade will be considered a hostile actor.
Maintain a Constant Strike Posture
Keep U.S. and Israeli forces on high alert, prepared to strike any remaining or reconstituted military, nuclear, or leadership targets at a moment's notice.
Systematically Dismantle Proxy Networks
Authorize direct military action against Iranian proxy leadership, training camps, and logistical hubs in Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon. Hold host governments accountable.
Diplomatic Isolation Strategy
Demand Unconditional Surrender
Cease all back-channel communications. All diplomatic messaging, public and private, must deliver a single, unified ultimatum: complete and unconditional capitulation to U.S. demands. There are no off-ramps, only terms of surrender.
Force Allied Alignment
Demand that European and Asian allies join the maximum suffocation campaign. Impose powerful secondary sanctions on any nation or entity that continues to do business with Iran. The time for neutrality is over.
Weaponize International Bodies
Use the U.S. position at the UN and IAEA not for negotiation, but as a forum for relentless condemnation of the Iranian regime, building a global coalition to legitimize its total isolation.
Economic and Information Warfare
Maximum Suffocation Campaign
Sanction every remaining sector of the Iranian economy, from its sovereign wealth fund to its food industries. The goal is to bring the regime's economy to a complete and total halt.
Fuel Internal Dissent
Launch a comprehensive information offensive to communicate directly with the Iranian people. Highlight the regime's corruption, incompetence, and the immense cost of its failed ideology.
Empower the Opposition
Provide overt and covert support to pro-democracy and opposition movements within Iran. Amplify their voices, provide secure communication tools, and help them organize.