Operation Midnight Hammer timeline: US B-2s took off on June 21 eve, back at airbase by June 22 morning and everything in between
A poster of "Operation Midnight Hammer" is displayed during a briefing at the Pentagon, after the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear facilities, during the Israel-Iran conflict, in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., June 22, 2025 in this still image taken from handout video. Reuters TV/U.S. Department of Defense/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
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Full timeline of US strikes on Iran
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Operation Midnight Hammer (Photo: United States Department of Defense)
Days after Israel's airstrike on Iran's nuclear facilities, the United States military struck three nuclear sites in Iran early Sunday, June 22, 2025, joining Israel's effort to decapitate Iran's nuclear program. The US military operation involved seven stealth B-2 bombers.The bombers struck the three nuclear facilities Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan starting at 6:40 PM (ET). The entire operation lasted around 25 minutes. The bombers exited Iranian airspace by 7.05 pm (ET). They flew from a base in Missouri. It was probably the longest B-2 mission since the September 11, 2001, attacks.At 5 PM (ET) on Saturday, June 21, there were dozens of tanker aircraft waiting at different spots known as aerial refuel points in the sky along the mission route. They were in position to refuel bombers midair. B-2 Bombers joined the support package in CENTCOM to prepare for the strikes.Around 6 PM (ET), US submarines launched dozens of Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles against important surface infrastructure targets at the Isfahan nuclear site in Iran. Bombers and support packages entered Iran.6:40 PM-7:00 (ET) (Saturday) Time on target: This was the main part of the mission. The lead B-2 bomber unleashed two massive bunker-buster bombs at the Fordow nuclear site. The remaining bombers then struck their targets.At around 7:00 PM-7:30 PM (EDT), the US military Bombers completed the mission and began heading home. In the early hours on Sunday, June 22, Bombers returned to Whiteman Air Force Base.Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, who detailed the US's strikes in Iran, said that Washington's strikes included 14 bunker-buster bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles, and over 125 military aircraft.During the press briefing, Caine also revealed that the Tomahawk missile was the last to strike at Isfahan to ensure that Washington kept "the element of surprise." "It appears that Iran's surface-to-air missile systems did not see us," he further stated.
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