Israel launched a new wave of retaliatory strikes across Iran early Monday, reportedly targeting several high-value assets including the notorious Fordow uranium enrichment facility — a key component of Tehran's nuclear weapons ambitions.

“The aggressor attacked the Fordow nuclear site again,” an Iranian government official admitted, according to The Guardian. The Associated Press confirmed that the strikes were aimed at cutting off access routes to the heavily fortified nuclear site, a move signaling that Israel and its allies are not merely retaliating — they’re constraining Iran’s ability to rebuild.

Additional reports say the Israeli operation also struck Evin Prison — Iran’s infamous holding center for political prisoners — and a headquarters tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated terrorist organization responsible for orchestrating anti-Western violence across the region.

Israel’s Defense Ministry made its message clear: “The Iranian dictator will be punished with full force for attacking the Israeli home front.”

The strikes came in the wake of a massive military exchange that began over the weekend. On Saturday, President Donald Trump ordered U.S. forces to cripple multiple Iranian nuclear facilities — including Fordow — in response to Tehran’s continued nuclear escalation and aggression toward American allies.

Iran responded on Sunday with direct attacks on Israel, prompting Monday morning’s coordinated counteroffensive. Now, with Iranian leaders publicly threatening the United States and Israel, the stakes are rising fast.

On Monday, Al Jazeera quoted Iranian officials vowing retribution. Abdolrahim Mousavi, newly appointed as the chief of staff for Iran’s armed forces, declared: “The criminal U.S. must know that in addition to punishing its illegitimate and aggressive offspring, the hands of Islam’s fighters within the armed forces have been freed to take any action against its interests and military, and we will never back down in this regard.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, doubled down on social media, reposting a speech where he insisted Israel “must be punished, and it is being punished right now.”

Meanwhile, Iranian state-run media escalated its rhetoric against President Trump. State broadcaster Mehdi Khanalizadeh ominously warned, “The U.S. president in the Oval Office chose to take delivery of the coffins of up to 50,000 U.S. soldiers in Washington,” as reported by the U.K. Metro.

Amid the mounting crisis, U.N. nuclear watchdog head Rafael Grossi offered a grim assessment of the damage inflicted on Fordow by U.S. forces. Speaking to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation board, Grossi said, “Given the explosive payload utilised and the extreme(ly) vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred.”

Adding to the geopolitical volatility, Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in Moscow with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. Predictably aligning himself with Tehran, Putin condemned Israel and the United States.

“The absolutely unprovoked aggression against Iran has no basis and no justification,” he claimed. “For our part, we are making efforts to assist the Iranian people.”

“I am very glad that you are in Moscow today,” Putin added. “This will give us the opportunity to discuss all these pressing issues and think together about how we could get out of today’s situation.”

While globalists wring their hands in European capitals, President Trump remains focused on safeguarding American interests, defending allies, and denying Iran the nuclear bomb it has long sought.