CNN’s chief law enforcement analyst John Miller penned a striking op-ed Sunday in The Wall Street Journal, suggesting that President Donald Trump could ultimately be remembered as the “hero” who delivered a decisive blow to Iran’s nuclear ambitions. In the piece, Miller portrayed Trump as either the lead actor in an unprecedented moment of Middle East realignment—or a powerful supporting figure in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s boldest strategic gamble.
“[Trump] could come out as the hero—the hitman who delivered the kill shot to the Iran threat,” Miller wrote, noting the significance of the U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and their geopolitical implications. The strikes, conducted last weekend, targeted deep underground enrichment sites long suspected of being capable of producing weapons-grade uranium.
Miller’s analysis builds on both public intelligence and internal assessments. Referencing past remarks by officials, including a now-viral March statement from Tulsi Gabbard citing a shift in Iran’s public discourse around nuclear weapons, Miller argued that Tehran was likely on the cusp of being able to assemble a nuclear device—if Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had issued the order.
“Whether or not Mr. Khamenei gave the order… the people working underground in places like Natanz and Fordow were getting Iran’s nuclear program ready to deliver a weapon quickly if and when that call came,” Miller wrote.
He also cited International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reports documenting Iran’s violations of uranium enrichment limits and expansion of advanced centrifuge usage—adding, “No country without a nuclear-weapons program operates facilities buried under remote mountains.”
The strike, coordinated with Israel, marked a major escalation in the region’s simmering conflict. But its aftermath has drawn cautious praise—even from critics of Trump. Former National Security Adviser John Bolton, a frequent Trump detractor, publicly backed the decision. And former Biden National Security Council Coordinator Brett McGurk, speaking on CNN, gave the Trump administration “extremely high marks” for its management of the crisis.
McGurk noted that the airstrike represented “Turn One” on the escalation ladder, followed by Iran’s limited, largely symbolic missile retaliation. With the U.S. and Qatari defenses intercepting nearly all projectiles and no casualties reported, McGurk described Iran’s response as “choreographed” and calculated not to escalate further.
Trump’s decision to greenlight the strike came after weeks of rising tensions, including a preemptive Israeli strike on June 12 that killed senior Iranian military officials. Trump initially signaled he would wait two weeks to decide whether the U.S. would engage directly—but announced the operation days later on Truth Social, calling it “very successful.”
Following the strikes and Iran’s measured counterattack, Trump announced that both Israel and Iran had agreed to a phased ceasefire, set to take effect within 24 hours. Although Iran later launched another round of missiles after the stated ceasefire time, Trump emphasized that the warning beforehand helped avoid casualties and contributed to a rapid de-escalation.
Even as rockets continued to launch in the hours after the agreement, signs of restraint were evident. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said military operations would continue “until the very last minute,” but eventually signaled willingness to halt further action if Israel held back.
