Bernie Sanders slams Trump's past claims of obliterating Iran’s nuclear facilities: 'Another lie'

WASHINGTON, DC: Sen Bernie Sanders has pushed back against previous claims made by President Donald Trump regarding the destruction of Iran’s nuclear capabilities following recent military strikes.

The developments come after the United States and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Saturday, February 28, targeting ballistic missile sites and other military and political establishments. The strikes were carried out amid allegations that Iran has been building nuclear weapons that threaten US allies and could “soon” reach the American homeland.

Bernie Sanders’ response to Trump's past claim about obliterating Iran's nuclear facilities

In an eight-minute video shared on Truth Social, Trump ended with a warning about potential dangers to US military personnel and appealed directly to Iranians to overthrow what he described as their authoritarian government. 

He said the US had sought to negotiate a deal with Iran after bombing three of its nuclear sites in "Operation Midnight Hammer" in June 2025, but claimed Iran “rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore.”

“Instead, they attempted to rebuild their nuclear program and to continue developing long-range missiles that can now threaten our very good friends and allies in Europe, our troops stationed overseas and could soon reach the American homeland,” he added. 

He also insisted that the US had to attack Iran because it could not allow the country “to have a nuclear weapon.”

Sanders strongly criticized the president’s justification. “Trump said we had to attack Iran because we can’t allow it ‘to have a nuclear weapon.’ Really? This is the same president who, in June, said, ‘Iran’s nuclear facilities have been obliterated.'"

The veteran politician continued, "Vietnam. Iraq. Iran. Another lie. Another war,” Sanders stated.

Trump administration's statements on Iran's nuclear threat

In a previous post, Sanders added, “This Trump–Netanyahu war is unconstitutional and violates international law. It endangers the lives of US troops and people across the region. We’ve lived through the lies of Vietnam and Iraq."

He further called for constitutional action, writing, "No more endless wars. Congress must pass a War Powers Resolution immediately.”

Prior to the strikes, Vice President JD Vance told Fox News, “Our primary interest here is, we don’t want Iran to get a nuclear weapon.” Trump echoed a similar message, stating, “They can’t have nuclear weapons; it’s very simple.”

Over the weekend, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff suggested Iran’s nuclear threat was imminent. Witkoff said, “They’ve been enriching well beyond the number that you need for civil nuclear. It’s up to 60%. They are probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material, and that’s really dangerous.”

Last year on June 21, Trump declared, “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.” He further repeated the claim on social media. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth went further on June 22, asserting that not only were the facilities destroyed, but that "Iran’s nuclear ambitions had also been eliminated."