Rising tensions between Russia and the West have renewed fears of World War 3 and drawn attention to a map showing 14 likely US targets in a nuclear strike.
On Saturday night (June 21), Trump announced the US had bombed three key nuclear sites in Iran - Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.
“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 air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home,” he posted on Truth Social.
The 79-year-old then issued a stern warning to the Middle Eastern nation, writing: “ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT."
However, Iran responded to the American aggression this Monday (June 23) by launching a missile strike on Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US military base in the region.
A statement from the IRGC, the most powerful branch of the Iranian military, said that "Iran will not leave any attack on its sovereignty unanswered," adding: "US bases in the region are not strengths but vulnerabilities," per BBC News.
Following these attacks, Trump announced that Iran and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire, although fighting has continued across the region, prompting concerns of a broader conflict.
As tensions continue to rise, fears have grown over how President Vladimir Putin might respond in a global conflict scenario, with a chilling map resurfacing that outlines 14 locations in the United States that Russia would likely target in a nuclear war.
While the Kremlin has typically issued vague nuclear threats, Russian State TV host Dmitry Kiselyov listed specific US targets in 2019, according to the Irish Star.
These likely targets include the Pentagon, Naval Station Norfolk, Comfort Suites Kings Bay Naval Base Area, Barksdale Air Force Base, Whiteman Air Force Base, and United States Strategic Command.
Other sites on the list are: VLF Array, Kirtland Air Force Base, 21st Force Support Squadron, Warren Air Force Base, Minot Air Force Base, Hill Air Force Base, Malmstrom Air Force Base, and Naval Radio Station Jim Creek.
Additional sites mentioned by Kiselyov include Camp David in Maryland, Fort Ritchie (closed in 1998), and McClellan Air Force Base in California (closed in 2001).
Amid the threat of nuclear escalation, Putin has also announced an increase in the production of hypersonic missiles, a move experts fear could further escalate global tensions.
“Serial production of the latest Oreshnik medium-range missile system underway,” Putin confirmed during a press conference.
The Oreshnik, also known as the Hazel tree missile, is a hypersonic weapon that Russia used during its assault on Ukraine in November 2024, with one missile reportedly striking a defense facility in Dnipro, according to The Mirror.
The missile has a range of up to 3,415 miles, putting parts of Europe and the western US within its potential strike zone.
Putin has claimed the Oreshnik is “impossible to intercept” and capable of delivering destruction “on par with a nuclear weapon.”
However, American officials have dismissed these statements as exaggeration, describing the missile’s warhead as “experimental” while noting that Russia may be overstating its capabilities.