WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. President Donald Trump how bowed to pro-Israel elements in his administration and Congress, announcing that the U.S. military has bombed a number of nuclear sites in Iran.

The attacks come two days after Mr Trump said he would make his decision on whether to join Israel's war on Iran, within two week.

In the shock announcement, Mr Trump said: "The U.S. conducted airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites, namely Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan."

The strikes were carried out on Saturday night.

"All planes are now outside of Iran's airspace. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home," the president said.

"We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this," he said.

Later in a telephone call to Axios, President Trump said: "Israel is much safer now."

Prior to the strikes, Israel Air Force warplanes  struck radar detection system sites used for detection and aerial intelligence gathering,

"President Trump took a bold decision for the United States, for Israel, for all of humanity. The world is now a safer place," former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Saturday night.

Mr Trump later posted another message on Truth Social saying he would address the nation at 10:00pm Saturday night.

"I will be giving an Address to the Nation at 10:00 P.M., at the White House, regarding our very successful military operation in Iran," he posted. "This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!"

The strikes come despite U.S. intelligence asserting that Iran is not building, nor planning nuclear weapons.

UN Secretary-General "Gravely Alarmed by" U.S. Attack on Iran

"I am gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States against Iran today. This is a dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security, " Antonio Guterres said in aa statement late Saturday night..

"There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world."

"I call on Member States to de-escalate and to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law," the UN secretary-general said.

"At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace."

Iran, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT, undergoes regular inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which has slammed attacks on nuclear facilities, pointing to "The numerous General Conference resolutions on the topic of military attacks against nuclear facilities, in particular, GC(XXIX)/RES/444 and GC(XXXIV)/RES/533, which provide, inter alia, that "any armed attack on and threat against nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful purposes constitutes a violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter, international law and the Statute of the Agency,." 

"The IAEA has consistently underlined that "armed attacks on nuclear facilities could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked," IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in briefing the United Nations Security Council last Friday night.