'We devastated the Iranian nuclear program,' U.S. defence secretary says after bombings

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U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday that U.S. military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities took months of positioning, and were an incredible and overwhelming success that he also claimed have obliterated Tehran's nuclear ambitions.

The U.S. strikes included 14 bunker-buster bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles and more than 125 military aircraft, in an operation the top U.S. general, Dan Caine, said was named Operation Midnight.

The operation pushes the Middle East to the brink of a major new conflagration in a region already aflame for more than 20 months with wars in Gaza and Lebanon and a toppled dictator in Syria.

"We devastated the Iranian nuclear program," Hegseth told reporters in a briefing from the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., adding that Iran's nuclear ambitions have been "obliterated."

He said the strikes did not target Iranian troops or citizens.

"The operation President Trump planned was bold and it was brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back. When this president speaks, the world should listen."

Tehran accused Washington of launching "a dangerous war" after President Donald Trump said the U.S. attacked three key nuclear sites in Iran on Sunday. Trump said the sites were "completely and fully obliterated."

Earlier, Iran's Foreign Ministry said Washington had "betrayed diplomacy" with the military strikes in support of Israel, which has been engaged in a nine-day war with Iran in an attempt to destroy its nuclear program.

Now, "the U.S. has itself launched a dangerous war against Iran," the ministry said in a lengthy statement. 

"The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its right to resist with full force against U.S. military aggression and the crimes committed by this rogue regime, and to defend Iran's security and national interests."

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