Pentagon reveals how B-2 bombers struck Iran nuclear websites in mission dubbed “Operation Midnight Hammer”

Washington — Senior Pentagon officers revealed new particulars concerning the U.S. operation to bomb three nuclear websites in Iran, with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers saying it was the “largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. historical past” and inflicted “extraordinarily extreme harm and destruction” to the targets.

“This was a extremely labeled mission with only a few folks in Washington understanding the timing or nature of this plan,” Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman, mentioned in a briefing on the Pentagon on Sunday morning detailing the strikes towards the Iranian nuclear websites at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.

Caine mentioned the mission, dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, included seven B-2 Spirit bombers that flew east from Whiteman Air Pressure Base in Missouri to Iran. One other group of B-2s flew west over the Pacific to behave as decoys — information studies emerged over the course of the day Saturday {that a} group of the bombers had been headed to the U.S. base in Guam. 

In the meantime, the 18-hour flight east by the bombers that will drop payloads on Iran required a number of in-flight refuelings because the planes crossed the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The bombers met up with U.S. fighter jets and assist plane as soon as over land within the Center East, executing a “complicated, tightly timed maneuver,” Caine mentioned.

Map exhibits Iran targets, Operation Midnight Hammer flight path

Caine spoke in entrance of a map exhibiting the flight path of the plane, and the timeline of key occasions within the operation:

At about 5 p.m. ET Saturday, simply earlier than the plane entered Iranian airspace, a U.S. submarine launched greater than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles towards targets on the website in Isfahan. Because the bombers approached their targets, the U.S. deployed “a number of deception techniques, together with decoys,” and fighter jets cleared the airspace forward of them, checking for enemy plane and surface-to-air missiles.

“We’re presently unaware of any pictures fired on the U.S. strike package deal on the best way in,” Caine mentioned.

At about 6:40 p.m. ET, or 2:10 a.m. in Iran, the lead B-2 dropped two “bunker-buster” bombs generally known as the GBU-57 Huge Ordnance Penetrators, or MOPs, on the location at Fordo. Over the subsequent 25 minutes, Caine mentioned, a complete of 14 MOPs can be dropped on targets at Fordo and Natanz. The Tomahawk missiles landed at Isfahan after bombs had been dropped on the 2 different websites. Caine mentioned no pictures had been fired on the planes as they left Iranian airspace.

“Iran’s fighters didn’t fly, and it seems that Iran’s surface-to-air missile methods didn’t see us. All through the mission, we retained the component of shock,” Caine mentioned.

“Greater than 125 U.S. plane participated on this mission,” Caine mentioned, together with the B-2 bombers, fighter jets, refueling planes and surveillance plane. Greater than 75 precision-guided weapons had been used within the assault, Caine famous.

“Preliminary battle harm assessments point out that each one three websites sustained extraordinarily extreme harm and destruction,” Caine mentioned, noting {that a} full evaluation will take time.

The chairman warned Iran towards taking any retaliatory motion for the strikes.

“Our forces stay on excessive alert and are absolutely postured to answer any Iranian retaliation or proxy assaults, which might be an extremely poor selection,” Caine mentioned. “We’ll defend ourselves.”

Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth referred to as the assault “an unbelievable and overwhelming success.”

“The order we obtained from our commander in chief was centered, it was highly effective, and it was clear,” Hegseth mentioned on the briefing alongside Caine. “We devastated the Iranian nuclear program, however it’s price noting that the operation didn’t goal Iranian troops or the Iranian folks.”

He added: “The operation President Trump deliberate was daring, and it was sensible, exhibiting the world that American deterrence is again. When this president speaks, the world ought to hear.”

“Our B-2s went out and in … and again with out the world understanding in any respect,” Hegseth mentioned. “In that means it was historic. A strike that included the longest B-2 Spirit bomber mission since 2001, and the primary operational employment of the MOP, a Huge Ordnance Penetrator.”

Mr. Trump introduced Saturday night that the U.S. had launched strikes towards Iran. He mentioned in a nationwide tackle later Saturday night time that the websites “have been fully and completely obliterated.”

Flanked by Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance on the White Home, the president described the strikes as a “spectacular navy success” and warned of “far larger” assaults if Iran doesn’t “make peace.”

“If peace doesn’t come shortly, we are going to go after these different targets with precision, velocity and ability, most of them may be taken out in a matter of minutes,” he mentioned. “There is not any navy on this planet that might have performed what we did tonight, not even shut. There has by no means been a navy that might do what occurred just a bit whereas in the past.”

Mr. Trump made his ultimate determination to strike Iranian nuclear websites on Saturday aboard M1 throughout a name with Hegseth. The protection secretary suggested Mr. Trump it was time to strike or abort the mission, after which the president gave the inexperienced gentle, in line with a White Home official. 

The Wall Avenue Journal first reported the timing of Mr. Trump’s determination.

Mr. Trump was already leaning towards approving the strikes on Thursday, when White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned he would resolve “inside two weeks,” the official mentioned.

In line with the official, Steve Witkoff, the particular envoy to the Center East, had advised Mr. Trump within the weeks main as much as the strike that the Iranians weren’t severe a few nuclear deal.