Washington, June 23, 2025 — President Donald Trump publicly commended Iran on Monday for issuing a warning ahead of its missile response to U.S. air strikes and characterised the retaliation as “very weak.” He said Tehran alerted Washington in advance via military‐diplomatic channels, allowing the U.S. to withdraw assets and avoid civilian harm.

Trump confirmed that on Saturday U.S. B‑2 stealth bombers targeted and destroyed Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, calling the mission a “spectacular military success” and stating all aircraft returned safely . He said the strikes had degraded Iran’s uranium enrichment capacity.

He described Iran’s missile salvo as quantitatively small and intercepted by Israeli and allied air‑defence systems. Trump said the limited nature of the response reflected restraint on both sides.

The President added that the United States provided prior notification to its ally Israel, and said he personally intervened to prevent Israeli plans to target Iran’s supreme leader, citing concerns over potential escalation .

Trump noted that U.S. intelligence assessments, as recently as mid‑June, found Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapons programme. Earlier negotiations conducted in Muscat and Rome under a 60‑day framework also concluded this month without agreement and were suspended once Israeli strikes commenced .

Iran’s foreign ministry denounced the U.S. air strikes as “brutal military aggression against peaceful nuclear facilities,” stressed that no civilians were killed, and stated Tehran reserved the right to legal retaliation .

Since June 13, a broader military exchange unfolded: Israel carried out air strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites under “Operation Rising Lion,” which Tehran responded to with missile and drone barrages in central Israel, including Tel Aviv and Haifa, resulting in civilian casualties .

Trump confirmed the deployment of U.S. naval vessels, missile‑defence systems, and additional aircraft to the region. He said these deployments were precautionary and not indicative of planned escalation.

The President said he would now focus on urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pursue a “durable peace settlement,” balancing military action with diplomatic efforts. He continued to call on Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions and affirmed U.S. openness to renewed dialogue, despite ongoing hostilities.