The covert US strike that targeted Iran's nuclear core
In an unprecedented show of military precision, the United States carried out a high-stakes mission dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, targeting three of Iran's most secure nuclear facilities using stealth bombers, cruise missiles, and an elaborate web of decoys.
The 18-hour round-trip strike was launched from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri under complete secrecy at 12:01 AM EDT. Seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers armed with GBU-57 "bunker buster" bombs took off silently, flying low across the Atlantic Ocean with minimal communications. Each bomber was accompanied by support aircraft, joining the formation in the Middle East to ensure the mission went undetected.
The Pentagon revealed that another set of B-2s flew west toward the Pacific Ocean in a sophisticated diversion tactic, leading the world to believe the US was preparing for a separate offensive near Guam. This decoy mission was known only to a select group of top military planners and senior leadership, including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who monitored the mission from the White House Situation Room.
At the heart of the strike was Iran's Fordo nuclear enrichment facility—deeply buried beneath a mountain, believed to be 80-90 meters (262-295 feet) underground. This target required the rarely used GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs)—each capable of piercing over 18 meters (60 feet) of reinforced concrete or up to 61 meters (200 feet) of earth.
The Pentagon confirmed that 14 MOPs were dropped across Fordo and a second facility at Natanz. In tandem, Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from a US Navy submarine in the Arabian Sea struck a third nuclear site near Isfahan—delivering a synchronized, multi-pronged offensive in under 30 minutes.
Despite extensive radar systems in Iran, no air defenses fired during the operation. According to defense analysts, Israel's prior control over Iranian airspace may have paved the way for the bombers to operate unchallenged.
While US officials hailed the mission as a tactical success and claimed the destruction of key nuclear capabilities, Iran has acknowledged the strikes but downplayed the extent of the damage. Experts say it could take weeks or even months to assess the true impact, especially given how deeply the facilities are fortified underground.
In total, more than 125 US aircraft and 75 precision-guided munitions were used in the assault. The entire operation spanned multiple continents, required numerous mid-air refuelings, and remains a benchmark for modern stealth warfare.
'This was the kind of coordinated, complex military strike only the US could pull off,' said Dr. Stacie Pettyjohn, a defense expert at the Center for a New American Security. 'But whether it truly resets Iran's nuclear program remains to be seen.'
The world now watches closely, as both Iran and the US weigh their next moves—militarily and diplomatically.
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