Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 22 (ANI): The US strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran is a 'major escalation' in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, noted Defence Expert Sanjeev Srivastava.

Srivastava further stated that the attack on Iran was a 'devastating blow' that hit hard at deep underground nuclear facilities.

'The action taken by Israel and America is a major escalation. Iran had to face a devastating blow due to these actions, and the deep underground nuclear facilities of Iran were hard hit in this attack...' the Defence expert told ANI on Sunday.

He further stated that every administration had made it clear that the acquisition of nuclear weapons would not be allowed for Iran.

'Be it the Trump administration or any other administrations, everyone has expressed their views that they won't let Iran acquire nuclear weapons...' he further said.

On Saturday (local time), US President Donald Trump said that the United States had 'successfully' hit three of Iran's key nuclear facilities--Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan--with a 'full payload of bombs', with Fordow as the primary target.

'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. 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,' Trump stated.

'Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter,' he added.

The underground site at Fordow and the larger Natanz plant were Iran's two primary uranium enrichment facilities, out of which Natanz had already been hit by Israel with smaller weapons earlier in the week, the New York Times reported.

According to CNN, the B-2 bombers are uniquely equipped to carry the Massive Ordnance Penetrator - a 30,000-pound 'bunker buster' bomb believed to be the only weapon capable of targeting Iran's underground Fordow nuclear site. Each B-2 can carry two of these powerful bombs.

As per the NYT, the strikes on these facilities represent the first time since Iran's 1979 revolution that the US Air Force has launched attacks on key sites within the country--an act considered an act of war. With this move, Trump has directly involved the US military in an open conflict with Iran, a step that successive American presidents, starting with Jimmy Carter, had deliberately avoided.

The conflict between Israel and Iran entered its ninth day on Saturday, with the US now joining in support of Israel. The conflict started after Israel, on June 13, launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites, dubbed 'Operation Rising Lion'.

In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a large-scale drone and missile operation, 'Operation True Promise 3', targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres. (ANI)