US launches largest-ever B-2 strike in operation on Iranian nuclear facilities
In an early morning press conference on Sunday, June 22, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine shared specifics of “Operation Midnight Hammer.” Caine called the mission a “deliberate and precise strike against three Iranian nuclear facilities.”
The facilities hit were Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan, President Donald Trump announced on Saturday, June 21. The attacks come after a week of missile strikes between Iran and Israel. They kicked off on June 13, when Israel struck Tehran’s nuclear facilities.
According to Caine, a large B-2 strike package comprised of bombers launched from the Whiteman Air Force Base on Saturday, June 21 as part of a plan to maintain tactical surprise. Part of the package proceeded to the West and into the Pacific as a decoy. The main strike package headed east for 18 hours into the target area. The seven B-2 Spirit bombers were refueled multiple times. Once the aircraft reached Iran at 5 p.m. ET, a U.S. submarine launched more than 24 Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles at the Isfahan nuclear site.
“The U.S. employed several deception tactics, including decoys as the fourth and fifth generation aircraft pushed out in front of the strike package at high altitude and high speed, sweeping in front of the package for enemy fighters and surface-to-air missile press,” Caine said.
At approximately 6:40 p.m. ET, or 2:10 a.m. in Iran’s timezone, the lead B-2 dropped two GBU 57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) weapons on the first of several aim points at Fordo. The remaining bombers then hit their targets as well, with a total of 14 MOPs dropped against two nuclear target areas. All three Iranian nuclear infrastructure targets were struck between 6:40 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. ET.
“Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,” Caine said.
According to Hegseth, this was the largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. history. The secretary added, “The United States does not seek war, but let me be clear. We will act swiftly and decisively when our people, our partners, or our interests are threatened. Iran should listen to the President of the United States and know that he means it — every word.”
This is a developing story and will be updated throughout the day.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
