Trump says damage to Iran's nuclear sites is 'far below ground level'

The president gave the final order to attack Iranian sites to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday, a senior administration official tells ABC News.

The president departed his Bedminster golf club Saturday afternoon and returned to the White House for a national security meeting, according to the official.

The official told ABC News that diplomatic efforts were made in the week leading up to the strike, mainly through the president's special envoy, Steve Witkoff.

As those efforts continued, the Pentagon simultaneously prepared the operation. By the end of the week, there was a growing belief among U.S. officials that Iran was not going to come to the table to reach a deal, according to sources.

President Trump was briefed daily on Israel's efforts and the operation itself as he decided whether to move forward, according to sources. He stayed in close contact with Hegseth while traveling to Bedminster, receiving updates until he made the final call.

-ABC News' Rachel Scott

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it struck "dozens of military sites" in Iran today, including missile and drone storage facilities, missile launchers, and air defense battery production sites.

The IDF said in a statement that "approximately 30 IAF fighter jets struck dozens of military targets throughout Iran with over 60 munitions."

"As part of the strikes, IAF fighter jets struck the 'Imam Hussein' Strategic Missile Command Center in the Yazd area, where long-range Khorramshahr missiles were stored. Approximately 60 missiles have been launched from this command center toward the State of Israel," the statement said.

"In parallel, missile launchers were struck in Isfahan, Bushehr, and Ahvaz. Strikes were also conducted on military sites involved in the production of aerial defense batteries, the ‘Third Brigade’ UAV command center, and a UAV storage facility near the command center," the IDF statement continued, adding that "during the strikes, an IAF aircraft identified Iranian Armed Forces soldiers loading missile launchers and eliminated them."

"The IDF will continue to reach and strike in any area within Iranian territory to eliminate threats posed to the State of Israel," the IDF statement concluded.

-ABC News' Jordana Miller

The B-2 bombers that struck Iranian targets at 6:40 p.m. ET Saturday are still in the air, according to a U.S. official.

The bombers are set to return to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri later today in what’s expected to be a roughly 36-hour flight – the longest B-2 flight since 2001.

-ABC News' Anne Flaherty and Luis Martinez

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran reserves the right to defend itself and respond to the U.S. attack but that he's "not in a position to reveal what we are going to do."

He also says he will be in Russia Monday for a previously planned meeting with Russian President Putin and is also speaking with Russia and China about a potential United Nations resolution to the conflict.

-ABC News' Victoria Beaule