Latest: US inserts itself into Israel-Iran war, strikes 3 Iranian nuclear sites

The US military struck three sites in Iran early Sunday, inserting itself into Israel's effort to decapitating Iran's nuclear programme in a risky gambit to weaken a longtime foe amid Tehran's threat of reprisals that could spark a wider regional conflict.

The decision to directly involve the US comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country's air defences and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities.

But US and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-pound (13,600-kilogram) bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear programme buried deep underground.

President Donald Trump announced the strikes. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported that attacks targeted the country's Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites. The agency did not elaborate. Iran's foreign minister said Iran reserves the right to retaliate.

Here is the latest: Israel assessing damage from US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites Israeli military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Israel was still assessing damage from US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites.

At a press briefing, Defrin was asked whether enriched material had been removed from the Fordo site before the US strike, and he replied that it was too early to know. Defrin said the strikes were carried out in coordination with the Israeli military.

Iran's top diplomat says he'll meet Putin in Moscow on Sunday Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, responding to a question from a Russian outlet, said he'll travel to Moscow later on Sunday to meet with President Vladimir Putin, after the US struck Iranian nuclear sites.

"We enjoy a strategic partnership and we always consult with each other and coordinate our positions," he said, referring to Russia.

Iran's foreign minister says diplomacy not an option after US strikes "The warmongering, a lawless administration in Washington is solely and fully responsible for the dangerous consequences and far reaching implications of its act of aggression," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a news briefing at a conference in Turkiye.

Araghchi said while the "door to diplomacy" should always be open, "this is not the case right now.

Araghchi said that there is "no red line" that the US has not crossed in its recent actions against the Islamic Republic.

"And the last one and the most dangerous one was what happened only last night when they crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities only," he said.

Head of the Red Cross says the world cannot absorb 'limitless war' The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that the escalation in the Middle East risks "engulfing the region — and the world — in a war with irreversible consequences." "The world cannot absorb limitless war. Upholding international humanitarian law is not a choice — it is an obligation," Mirjana Spoljaric said in a statement.

Images show damage on the mountainside at Iran's underground nuclear site at Fordo Satellite images taken Sunday analysed by The Associated Press show damage on the mountainside at Iran's underground nuclear site at Fordo after US airstrikes targeted the facility.

The images by Planet Labs PBC show the once-brown mountain had parts turned gray and its contours appeared slightly different than in previous images, suggesting a blast threw up debris around the site. That suggests the use of specialised American bunker buster bombs on the facility. Light gray smoke also hung in the air.

Iran has yet to offer a damage assessment of the site.

Other satellite images suggest Iran before the strike sealed up its tunnel entrances at Fordo.

Iran's top diplomat throws cold water on calls to return to diplomacy with the US Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X that the US strikes overnight have blown up any possibility of diplomacy with the Americans or Europeans.

"Last week, we were in negotiations with the US when Israel decided to blow up that diplomacy. This week, we held talks with the E3/EU when the US decided to blow up that diplomacy," Araghchi wrote on X. "What conclusion would you draw?" He added that British and European Union comments for Iran to "return" to the negotiating table is unfeasible now. "But how can Iran return to something it never left, let alone blew up?" he said.

Britain was notified in advance of US strikes on Iran Cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds told Sky News that Britain was notified as a key ally, though he didn't know the actual timing. He said the US did not ask for support and Britain was not involved.

"Whilst the British government, the UK, has not been involved in these attacks, we have been making extensive preparations for all eventualities," Reynolds said.

He said the government was working on how to look after British nationals as well as its military bases, personnel and infrastructure in the region.

Bahrain warns drivers to stay off main roads after US strikes in Iran Showing the growing concern in the Gulf Arab states, the island kingdom of Bahrain issued a notice Sunday to drivers to stay off main roads if possible.

Bahrain's Interior Ministry wrote on X: "In light of recent developments in the regional security situation, we urge citizens and residents to use main roads only when necessary, to maintain public safety and to allow the relevant authorities to use the roads efficiently." Authorities also said they activated work-from-home protocols for some 70 per cent of the country's government workers.

Bahrain is home to the US Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet and long been a threatened target of Iran.

Israel gives latest number of its injured The Israeli Health Ministry says Iranian attacks overnight and into Sunday have wounded more than 80 people.

The vast majority, more than 70, were lightly wounded, it said.

Israeli strikes on Gaza kill 4, health officials say A hospital in central Gaza says it received the bodies of four people who were killed in an Israeli airstrike on Sunday in the Nuseirat refugee camp.

The Awda hospital said it also received 22 people wounded in an Israeli attack on a gathering waiting for aid trucks south of Wadi Gaza area.

Meanwhile, aid group World Central Kitchen said it resumed cooking and distribution of hot meals in Gaza on Saturday, the first time after six weeks of a forced hiatus.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)