Trump, Fordow, Israel and the likely collapse of the “nuclear taboo”: is the world ready? – what threatens Ukraine and the world order?

“Trump recently compared himself to Harry Truman, who in 1945 gave the order for atomic strikes on Japan. Symbolically, the ‘Doomsday Plane’ — the airborne command center for the U.S. president in the event of nuclear war — was transferred to Andrews Air Force Base.”

A possible U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear facility in Fordow could trigger a chain of nuclear threats around the world. NAnews analysis reveals the risks for Ukraine, Israel, and global stability.

On June 21, 2025, it was reported that Israel, without waiting for the expiration of the two-week deadline set by President Trump, declared its readiness to strike Iran’s Fordow nuclear site — and communicated this directly to the United States.

According to Reuters, Netanyahu, Katz, and the IDF Chief of Staff warned that the “window of opportunity” is rapidly closing. In the White House, there is division: some are calling for a strike, others cling to diplomacy.

Fordow — the potential epicenter of an apocalypse

Ukrainians should pay close attention to developments surrounding Iran’s underground Fordow complex. It is here that Iran is completing uranium-235 enrichment to weapons-grade levels, and possibly assembling an actual nuclear warhead. Destroying the facility, buried 80–90 meters deep in bedrock, would require superweapons.

Trump and the nuclear strike precedent

Amid discussions in the U.S. over potential military action against Fordow, calls are increasingly being heard to use tactical nuclear weapons. Some American military experts believe that even the massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bomb may not be enough to destroy the underground facility.

Recently, Donald Trump himself, according to American media, compared his current dilemma to that of President Harry Truman, who ordered the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

In addition, the U.S. deployed the so-called ‘Doomsday Plane’ — an airborne nuclear command post — to Andrews Air Force Base. This has heightened suspicions that the White House is seriously considering the use of tactical nuclear weapons.

These signals are alarming not only to U.S. allies but also to its adversaries.

If the first precedent for the use of tactical nuclear weapons is set by the United States, it could shatter the entire international system of nuclear deterrence.

It would effectively give permission for other regimes — from Russia to North Korea — to cross the same line.

No decision has yet been made on the Fordow strike. Reports about nuclear options may be mere disinformation. Yet given Trump’s recent actions, anything is possible.

The global norm against using nuclear weapons is based on the belief that any country or leader who crosses that line will either be destroyed or become a total pariah. But if the U.S. uses nuclear weapons, it effectively sets a precedent for everyone else.

This would immediately increase the likelihood of nuclear weapons being used in conflicts between India and Pakistan, or between North and South Korea. And Ukraine would be left to rely solely on the technical failure of Russia’s nuclear arsenal and the skill of its air and missile defense forces.

Because putin has long been prepared to strike Ukraine with a tactical nuclear weapon but is held back by fear of global — especially U.S. — reaction.

Rosatom’s warning and the Bushehr factor

Rosatom director Aleksey Likhachev warned that a strike on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant would lead to a regional-scale radioactive disaster, affecting “several countries, including Israel.” He noted that Russian personnel are working at the facility, and that Moscow has received “assurances” of their safety from Netanyahu and Trump.

Table — possible scenarios and consequences

NAnews position

NAnews believes that any strike on Fordow must be carefully calculated to avoid triggering a chain reaction. The use of nuclear weapons could drag the world into a race of atomic escalation.

Israel has the right to self-defense, but the U.S. and Israel must act in a way that does not give dictators — including putin — a “green light” to use nuclear weapons.

Conclusion

Fordow has become a litmus test for global security. The decisions made in the next two weeks will shape the future not only of the Middle East but also of Ukraine and the entire nonproliferation system.

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