U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth declared on Sunday that recent U.S. military strikes had “devastated” Iran’s nuclear programme, signaling a sharp escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth said the operation was carried out under direct orders from President Donald Trump and was planned with secrecy and precision. Codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer, the strikes targeted Iran’s primary nuclear enrichment sites at Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow.

“We devastated the Iranian nuclear programme,” Hegseth stated, adding that the mission involved over 125 military aircraft, including B-2 stealth bombers, 14 GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs, and more than 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles.

President Trump earlier described the strike as a “spectacular military success.” In a national address, he said the goal was to eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat and disrupt the nuclear ambitions of what he called “the world’s number one state sponsor of terror.”

Vice President J.D. Vance added that the United States remains open to diplomacy but is fully prepared for any Iranian retaliation. “If Iran enlarges this conflict by attacking American troops, that would be a catastrophic mistake,” he warned.

Hegseth also issued a strong caution to Tehran. “This is not the previous administration. President Trump said: no nukes. Any retaliation by Iran will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight,” he asserted.

While the strikes have heightened global concerns, Washington has signaled that the door to diplomacy remains open—provided Iran refrains from further provocation.