President Donald Trump announced in a Truth Social post late Saturday that the United States has launched strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites — inserting itself into Israel’s war against the country in a move that risks a wider war involving major global powers.In an address to the nation that lasted less than four minutes, the president gave virtually no explanation or rationale for striking the Fordo, Natanz and Esfahan nuclear sites. He also vaguely suggested deescalation, but declined to say how.“Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace,” Trump said. “If they do not, future attacks would be far greater and a lot easier.”For two decades, HuffPost has been fearless, unflinching and relentless in pursuit of the truth. Support our mission to keep us around for the next 20 — we can’t do this without you.The president drew bipartisan backlash for approving the strikes without congressional authorization, with some Democrats even calling for his impeachment. Some lawmakers have called for a vote under the War Powers Act, which limits military action without congressional approval.Countries around the world are calling for diplomacy following the attack, but Iran’s foreign minister said the U.S. “crossed a very big red line” that has erased the possibility of diplomatic talks.Read our previous coverage here, and see the latest politics updates below:Trump Falsely Claims The People Protesting ICE Are Paid ‘Insurrectionists’Trump again floated the idea that the Angelenos protesting ICE operations in their neighborhoods are not actually upset about his administration’s arbitrary mass deportation efforts, but rather doing it for money.“These are paid insurrectionists. These are paid troublemakers. They get money,” Trump told reporters gathered in the Oval Office. He later added that not all of the protesters fit that description but that many did.“They’re agitators. They’re paid,” Trump said. For evidence, he suggested that it was unusual for an ordinary protester to have access to a tool like a hammer. Trump told reporters that some of the protesters threw pieces of concrete and rocks at law enforcement vehicles; the FBI is currently searching for one man who was spotted throwing rocks.“Do you think somebody walks up to a curb and starts hammering pieces out — has all the equipment necessary — and starts handing it out to people to use as a weapon?” Trump said.“If we didn’t send in the National Guard quickly, right now, Los Angeles would be burning to the ground,” he added.Trump said he spoke to Newsom yesterday.“Called him up to tell him, ‘Gotta do a better job.’ He’s done a bad job. Causing a lot of death and a lot of potential death,” the president said.There have been no deaths at the protests.While Trump has acknowledged the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act to deploy U.S. troops against Americans, he declined to say at what point he would do so.See All UpdatesClose