How US stealth bombers flew undetected for 18 hours to strike Iran’s nuclear sites | Details here
Iran’s nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan were hit in a US strike involving submarine-launched cruise missiles and diversionary fighter jet flights.
A formation of American B-2 stealth bombers flew undetected for 18 hours from Missouri to Iranian airspace, carrying out one of the most extensive strikes ever conducted by the United States on Iranian nuclear infrastructure, the Pentagon said on Sunday.
Operation “Midnight Hammer” began on Saturday with a diversion. One group of B-2 bombers flew toward Guam, which analysts thought signalled a possible strike. But the real mission involved seven B-2 bombers flying east quietly, refuelling in the air, and avoiding Iran’s air defences.
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Iran’s main nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan were hit in a coordinated US assault that involved cruise missile launches from a submarine and decoy flights by American fighter jets.
As the B-2 bombers neared Iranian airspace, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles were launched, while jets flew ahead to guard against any potential Iranian response.
The Pentagon said the strike was the largest-ever combat deployment of B-2 bombers and the second-longest mission after those flown following the 9/11 attacks.
Each bomber dropped a GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 30,000-pound bunker-busting bomb designed to destroy heavily fortified nuclear facilities.
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“This was a spectacular military success,” said US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, confirming that over 125 military aircraft took part in the operation.
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added, “Iran's fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran’s surface-to-air missile systems did not see us throughout the mission. We retained the element of surprise.”
The Pentagon’s post-strike evaluations indicate that Iran’s key nuclear facilities were heavily damaged in the assault. While General Dan Caine declined to confirm whether the country’s nuclear programme was entirely neutralised, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said, “It was clear we devastated the Iranian nuclear programme.”
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Though the groundwork for the operation had been laid months in advance, officials said the mission itself was put together in a matter of weeks. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth noted that most senior figures in Washington only learned of the strikes after President Donald Trump disclosed them on social media late Saturday night.
Reiterating Washington’s position, Hegseth said the U.S. is not seeking a wider war, but warned of further action if provoked.
“Iran would be wise to heed those words,” he said, adding, “The President has said it before, and he means it.”
