B-2 stealth bombers, fighter aircraft, and submarine-launched cruise missiles executed strikes on Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan during “Operation Midnight Hammer.”
Senior Pentagon officials described the operation as an extraordinary coordinated military action against Iran, conducted under strict secrecy, demonstrating the capabilities of the American military in employing air and naval forces effectively.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were unable to confirm whether Iran retains the capability to produce a nuclear weapon. Hegseth reiterated President Trump’s claim that the nuclear sites had been “obliterated,” while General Caine did not comment on this assertion.
The final battle damage assessment is pending, but initial reports indicate that all three targeted Iranian nuclear sites sustained significant damage. The operation, explained by General Caine, involved a precise sequence of strikes commencing at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and executing within a 25-minute window on Saturday evening.
The B-2 bombers departed in secrecy on Friday night, embarking on a 7,000-mile journey requiring multiple refuelings. They traversed the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea before targeting the fortified nuclear site at Fordo, in addition to facilities at Natanz.
The operation deployed 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs, commonly known as “bunker busters,” with the first two detonating at 2 a.m. local time on Sunday. A U.S. Navy submarine also launched over two dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles aimed at the Isfahan site.
General Caine noted that Iran did not respond with fighter jets or surface-to-air missile fire during the operation, maintaining the element of surprise throughout the mission.
This operation marked the first combat use of the GBU-57, a 30,000-pound guided bomb designed to penetrate deeply buried targets, and which can only be deployed by B-2 stealth bombers.
General Caine characterized the operation as intended to significantly degrade Iran’s nuclear weapons infrastructure. The main assault involved seven B-2 bombers launched from the U.S., while additional B-2s served as decoys.
The flight to the target area lasted 18 hours, requiring several in-flight refuelings before engaging fighter escorts and entering Iranian airspace. Prior to the bombers' approach, a U.S. Navy submarine launched the Tomahawk missiles.
Fourth- and fifth-generation warplanes flew ahead of the B-2s to target Iranian air defenses and other sites in preparation for the stealth bombers' entry.
The lead B-2 delivered two bombs on the initial target at Fordo, contributing to a total of 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrators aimed at two nuclear sites. In total, approximately 75 precision-guided munitions were utilized during the operation, which was conducted under the name “Midnight Hammer.” This mission was described as highly classified, with few individuals in Washington aware of its specifics.