US President Donald Trump has said that American forces completed "very successful" air strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites amid fears of a wider conflagration in the region.
Trump said a "full payload of" bombs was dropped on the "primary" Iranian nuclear site at Fordo, and additional strikes were conducted at the facilities at Natanz and Esfahan. All American warplanes departed Iranian airspace, he said.
Trump's announcement came just two days after he said he would decide "within two weeks" whether to join key ally Israel in attacking Iran.
Earlier on Saturday, there were reports that US B-2 bombers, which carry so-called "bunker buster" bombs, were headed out of the United States.
Trump did not say what kind of US planes or munitions were involved.
"All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this," Trump said on social media.
"NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter."
The Fordo nuclear facility is an underground uranium enrichment site near Qom – Iran’s deepest and most fortified nuclear installation designed to withstand conventional air strikes.
Iran had strongly warned Trump against involvement in the conflict with Israel, saying if the US directly entered the hostilities, it would lead to "irreparable consequences".
Trump has repeatedly threatened to take military action against Tehran and maintained that the US would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon, something Iran has repeatedly denied that it seeks to acquire.
Hostilities broke out on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran, including military, nuclear facilities and civilians, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.
Israeli authorities said at least 25 people have been killed and hundreds injured since then in Iranian missile attacks.
Meanwhile, in Iran, 430 people have been killed and more than 3,500 wounded in the Israeli assault, according to the Iranian Health Ministry.
