June 23, 2025 12:47 PM UTC

Iran Bombing Reactions Speak Volumes as Dust and Rhetoric Settle

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• by: Colorado Pols

In case you missed the big news on Saturday evening (North American time), President Trump backtracked on years of anti-war claims by ordering the bombing of three sites believed to be key to Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions.

As Michael Burnbaum and Natalie Allison report for The Washington Post:

Trump’s decision to strike Iran marked an extraordinary turnabout for a president who built his power a decade ago in part on his rejection of the Iraq War. He denounced former president George W. Bush for that war and promised not to drain U.S. coffers for foreign entanglements that cost American lives and, he argued, delivered little to advance U.S. interests. In recent months, Trump appeared so focused on a diplomatic effort with Tehran that he unsettled Iran hawks in his own party.

That came to an end on Saturday, with a long-range and stealthy strike that used one of the most powerful conventional bombs in the U.S. arsenal against Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities, which are buried deep underneath mountains.

In a three-minute address from the White House Saturday night, Trump declared the operation “a spectacular military success.”

“Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated,” he said.’ [Pols emphasis]

Many Americans have grown unable to discern fact from fiction in anything that comes out of Trump’s mouth, and his remarks following Saturday’s attacks demonstrated that problem once again. Trump’s rosy report turned out to be less than accurate once both the dust and rhetoric had settled. As NBC News reports today:

But despite Trump’s bullish claims, the extent of the damage to the deeply buried facility at Fordo, as well as sites at Isfahan and Natanz, is unclear and almost 400 kilograms, or 880 pounds, of uranium enriched to 60% are publicly unaccounted for… [Pols emphasis]

…Speaking to the United Nations Security Council on Sunday, Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director general of the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, said…“no one” including his International Atomic Energy Agency, was “in a position to assess the underground damage at Fordo,” and he called for inspectors to be allowed back “to Iran’s nuclear sites and account for the stockpiles of uranium, including, most importantly, the 400kg enriched to 60%.”

The Trump administration and Israel appear confident they know the location of the highly enriched uranium. Speaking to CBS News’ “Face the Nation” before Grossi made his assessment, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that he doubted Iran had been able to move the enriched the uranium and that “we have to assume that there’s a lot of 60% enriched uranium buried deep under the ground there in Isfahan.”

Those are a lot of dangerous assumptions to be making. Speaking up before the facts are known is a Trump speciality, and freshman Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Ft. Lupton) has dutifully followed that lead. On Sunday, the White House compiled a bunch of reactions to the U.S. bombing of Iran, and Gabe-ish was included getting over his skis once again:

Again, while Saturday’s bombings certainly damaged important nuclear sits in Iran, it is FAR too early to boast that the U.S. might have succeeded in its goal to “prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.”

SIDE NOTE: This is at least the third time that the White House has used obsequiousness from Evans to justify its policies (including HERE and HERE).

Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-Windsor) and Jeff Crank (R-Colorado Springs) joined Evans off the rails, but other members of Colorado’s congressional delegation were more careful in their comments.

The Associated Press and CBS4 Denver collected some of those responses:

Rep. Jeff Hurd, R-Grand Junction: The world is safer when America leads. I support efforts to protect U.S. security and stand with our allies. Grateful to our servicemembers for their professionalism and courage. Iran cannot be allowed to possess nuclear capabilities. We must always stand up for the safety and security of the U.S. and its allies. I fully support actions taken to prevent an evil regime from being able to harm us, Israel, and our other allies

Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Windsor: I HATE THEM, TOO! Let’s END them!!

Rep. Jeff Crank, R-Colorado Springs: Tonight, President Trump took decisive action to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, protect Americans and build peace in the Middle East. Congratulations to the Department of Defense on a successful mission.

Rep. Jason Crow, D-Aurora: I’m seeking more information about the strikes against Iran, but here’s what we do know: 1. Trump broke a promise to prevent America from entering new conflicts. 2. Trump has, once again, exceeded his authority. 3. Congress must act now & reclaim constitutional power over America’s use of military force.

Brittany Pettersen, D-Lakewood: “Only Congress may authorize war. And the last person I would trust to lead us through this is Donald Trump. As we watch to see the results of this strike, my primary concern is the safety and security American service members and diplomats across the region. For the good of America and the world, we must prioritize diplomatic de-escalation. ”

Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colorado: I am closely monitoring the ongoing situation in Iran. While I strongly believe that Iran can never be allowed to have nuclear weapons, I share many Americans concerns about direct U.S. involvement in the conflict. None of us want a wider regional war, particularly without a clear understanding of what comes after the conflict. I am seeking additional informational from the administration on the ongoing operation.

Trump’s MAGA base also made it clear that they were not happy about the prospect of joining another war in the Middle East. As MAGA stalwart Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia complained:

President Trump indicated on Saturday evening that the bombings would be the end of U.S. involvement in conflict between Iran and Israel, though he was already changing gears on that narrative by Sunday.

Meanwhile, Iran today struck back at the United States, albeit ineffectively. From The New York Times:

Iran on Monday launched a military attack on an American base in Qatar, the largest American military installation in the Middle East, in retaliation for U.S. strikes on three critical nuclear sites.

Qatar said that its air defenses had intercepted the missiles and condemned the Iranian attack.

The strike stoked fears that the conflict with Iran could intensify, drawing in the United States further and expanding it across the region. The base, Al Udeid, serves as the forward headquarters for the U.S. Central Command, and was considered a prime potential target for Iranian retaliation after the U.S. strikes over the weekend.

Three Iranian officials said that Iran had given advance notice that attacks were coming, as a way to minimize casualties. The officials said Iran needed to be seen striking back at the United States, but in a way that allowed all sides an exit ramp. They described it as a similar strategy to one used in 2020, when Iran gave a heads-up before firing ballistic missiles at an American base in Iraq after the assassination of its top general.

Hopefully this is the end of the conflict rather than merely the end of the beginning. The only thing we can say for sure is that there is no way to believe anything that the President of the United States says about what happens next.