Last night, U.S. pilots of the B-2 Spirit Bomber completed a historic mission, returning to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri at approximately 5 PM after an extensive 18-hour journey from Iran. Their target? A trio of nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.
In a significant escalation of military action, the United States struck Iran’s nuclear sites with the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator—commonly known as “bunker buster” bombs—marking the first time these powerful munitions have been deployed in combat.
President Trump expressed his gratitude for the successful operation on Truth Social, exclaiming, “A job well done!” upon the safe return of the pilots.
According to Matt Evans, the President addressed the nation shortly after the attack, hailing it as a “spectacular military success.” He further warned Iran that “there are many targets left” and promised a response with “precision, speed, and skill” should Iran retaliate.
Earlier today, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine conducted a press conference to discuss the implications of the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
The operation, aptly named “Operation Midnight Hammer,” was shrouded in secrecy and was described as the largest operational strike by B-2 bombers in U.S. history. According to General Caine, it was only surpassed in duration by missions flown shortly after the September 11 attacks.
In total, over 125 U.S. aircraft participated in this extensive mission.
WATCH: “Operation MIDNIGHT HAMMER” – Hegseth and Gen. Caine Detail Highly Classified and Sophisticated Iran Operation and Use of Decoys to Maintain Element of Surprise in “Longest B-2 Spirit Bomber Mission Since 2001”
While Hegseth and General Caine could not confirm the total destruction of Iran’s nuclear capabilities, they emphasized that “all of our precision munitions struck where we wanted them to strike and had the desired effect,” according to Hegseth.
President Trump later declared on Truth Social that the damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure was “monumental.”
The damage to the Nuclear sites in Iran is said to be “monumental.” The hits were hard and accurate. Great skill was shown by our military. Thank you!
For a deeper understanding, watch Secretary Hegseth and General Caine detail the operation during their press conference below: