In a dramatic and unprecedented show of force, the United States military launched a coordinated air and missile assault on three key Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend, dealing what officials described as “extreme damage” to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. The operation, code-named Operation Midnight Hammer, marked the first operational use of America’s most powerful bunker-busting weapon and involved one of the largest stealth bomber deployments in U.S. history.
According to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Cain, the mission was carried out under the command of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and executed primarily between late Friday night and early Saturday morning, Iran time.
The strike package included seven B-2 stealth bombers that departed from the continental United States and flew for 18 hours—each supported by multiple in-flight refuelings—before entering the theater. En route, they linked up with escort aircraft under near-total radio silence. A decoy flight was deployed westward toward the Pacific to draw attention away from the true vector of attack.
At approximately 5 p.m. EST on Saturday, U.S. submarines in the region launched two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles aimed at targets in Isfahan. The missiles were followed by precision-guided airstrikes, with escort fighters and decoy systems shielding the bomber fleet as it approached Iranian airspace.
By 2:10 a.m. Iran time, U.S. aircraft began dropping ordnance. Fourteen GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs)—the Pentagon’s most powerful bunker-busting bombs—were dropped on hardened nuclear sites at Fordow and Natanz. These strikes were followed by additional precision munitions and anti-aircraft suppression weapons. Cruise missiles were the last to hit their targets, landing on the nuclear facility at Isfahan shortly after 7:00 a.m. EDT.
In total, the Pentagon confirmed that 75 precision weapons were used, including MOPs, cruise missiles, and supporting suppression systems. The operation involved 125 U.S. aircraft, including B-2 bombers, multiple fighter squadrons, dozens of aerial refuelers, and at least one U.S. Navy submarine.
“No Iranian fighters were scrambled. Their surface-to-air missile systems appear to have never tracked us,” said General Cain, noting that the stealthy approach and extensive electronic countermeasures appeared to have successfully neutralized Iran’s air defenses.
The attack represents the largest combat deployment of B-2 bombers in history and the second longest B-2 mission ever flown.
All three targeted sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—are known components of Iran’s nuclear program. U.S. officials said initial battle damage assessments indicate that all sustained “extreme damage,” though no further details were provided on the operational status of the facilities post-strike.
