Washington – Fallout from President Trump’s historic gamble to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities reverberated across the Middle East Sunday, as Washington braced for an unpredictable response from a cornered but resolute Islamic Republic.

Although the Iranian government downplayed the impact of the U.S.attack, noting the depths of its nuclear know-how built over decades of study, U.S. military officials said the precision strikes against Iran’s three main nuclear facilities caused “extremely severe damage and destruction.”

A senior Israeli official told The Times that Jerusalem was so satisfied with the operation that it was prepared to suspend hostilities if Iran ends its missile salvos against Israeli territory.

“We are ready to be done,” said the Israeli official, who requested anonymity to speak candidly.

As the dust settled, the sun rose and satellite imagery emerged of the wreckage, the main question among Trump administration officials became how Tehran would respond – both militarily, against U.S. interests in the Persian Gulf and around the world,as well as with the remnants of its nuclear program,with so much of it destroyed.

Tehran’s nuclear-armed allies, in Russia and North Korea, have been critical of the military campaign, with former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev raising the prospect of Moscow giving Iran a nuclear warhead in response to the attacks.

The Israeli official dismissed that idea, alluding to direct talks with Moscow over the Iranian program.”We are not concerned,” the official said.

Trump’s military action, dubbed “Operation Midnight Hammer,” was a contingency years in the making, prepared and and assiduously avoided by his predecessors over two decades as a desperate last resort to a nuclear Iran.

Ever since Tehran resumed its fissile enrichment program in 2005, Republican and democratic presidents alike have warned that the Islamic Republic could never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.But a constellation of diplomatic talks and complex agreements has failed to dissuade Tehran from a fundamental principle of a “right to enrich” uranium – near to weapons grade – on its own soil.

Despite the dramatic nature of the air raid, few in Washington expressed an appetite for a prolonged U.S. war with Iran and echoed Israel’s interest in a truce after deeming its initial operations a success. vice President JD Vance denied that the United States was “at war” with Iran on Sunday, telling CBS that the nation is, rather, “at war with Iran’s nuclear program.”

But the prospect of another full-scale U.S. war in the Middle East, made palpable by the weekend strikes, shook Capitol Hill on Sunday, compelling Democrats who have long advocated a tough approach to Iran to push for a vote to restrict Trump under the War Powers Act.

More than 60 members of Congress, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York, called on the Trump administration to seek congressional authorization for any further action. At least one Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentuckyjoined in the call.

U.S. officials emphasized the precise nature of the strike Sunday, indicating the mission had been an isolated military operation with a narrow, if ambitious, goal.But Trump reinforced fears of a broader war on Sunday evening, writing on his social media platform that a change of government could become a policy goal of the administration.

The Pentagon said that seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers deployed a total of 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrators – 30,000-pound bombs known as “bunker busters,” for their ability to destroy facilities buried deep underground – against Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.

The U.S. operation followed an israeli campaign that began last week with strikes against Iranian air defenses and nuclear facilities, scientists and research facilities, and also against military generals, ballistic missile launch pads and storage depots.

Even tho the U.S. and Israel believe that the American strikes were a strategic victory, some concern remains that Iran may have removed critical equipment and materiel from its site in Fordo – an enrichment facility built deep into the side of a mountain – to an undisclosed location before the U.S. operation began, the Israeli official said.

“That remains a question mark,” the official added, while expressing confidence that Israeli intelligence would be aware of any other significant nuclear facilities.

Addressing the nation Saturday night about the attacks, Trump warned Iran that U.S. attacks could continue if it refuses to give up on its nuclear program.

“There will be either peace, or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days,” Trump said, flanked by his vice president, national security advisor and Defense secretary. “Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight’s was the most tough of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal.But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes.”