America Strikes Iran - Operation Midnight Hammer

Trump Orders Attack
The U.S. Drops the Hammer
Iran Retaliates
Impact

Trump Orders Attack

Operation Midnight Hammer was a U.S. military strike against Iran’s nuclear program, ordered by President Donald Trump and executed by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on June 21-22, 2025. The 37-hour mission targeted three key Iranian nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, with the declared objective of destroying or severely degrading Iran’s nuclear weapons development capability.

President Trump, who had for years made clear that he would not permit Iran to obtain nuclear weapons, authorized the strike after what U.S. officials described as prolonged diplomatic stonewalling by Tehran. According to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the President remained committed to diplomacy but ultimately concluded that direct military action was necessary to neutralize the growing threat.

The highly classified operation involved extensive coordination across multiple branches of the U.S. military. CENTCOM Commander General Eric Kurilla led the mission, which was planned in strict secrecy, with only a select few officials in Washington and Tampa aware of the exact timing and scope.

The main strike force included seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers launched directly from the continental United States. Each bomber carried a crew of two and was equipped with multiple GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs.

Satellite imagery and defense sources indicate that Iran sealed off entrances to its Fordow nuclear facility in the days before the U.S. launched Operation Midnight Hammer, likely to preempt a potential ground raid. The sealing carried out with dump trucks and bulldozers may have been part of a broader effort, as similar activity was observed at Isfahan. This move may have influenced the U.S. decision to use B-2 bombers armed with GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators to strike Fordow, with officials later claiming the precision munitions achieved their intended effect. 

To maintain tactical surprise, a secondary B-2 package flew westward into the Pacific as a decoy, while the primary strike group headed east toward the target zone using minimal communications. The bombers conducted multiple in-flight refuelings during their 18-hour mission. As the bombers approached Iranian airspace, they were joined by escort and support aircraft in a precisely synchronized maneuver involving fourth- and fifth-generation fighters and suppression of enemy air defenses. Just before the bombers’ entrance into Iran, a U.S. Navy submarine stationed in the region launched over two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at Isfahan, disabling key surface infrastructure.

The U.S. Drops the Hammer

Between 6:40 PM and 7:05 PM Eastern Standard Time (2:10 to 2:35 AM local time in Iran), the bombers struck their targets. The lead B-2 dropped two GBU-57 MOP bombs on Fordow, followed by coordinated strikes at Natanz and Isfahan. In total, 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrators were dropped during the operation - the first combat use of these 30,000-pound bunker-busting weapons. Altogether, approximately 75 precision-guided munitions were employed. Over 125 U.S. aircraft participated in the mission, making it the largest B-2 operational strike in U.S. history and the second-longest B-2 flight on record, surpassed only by those conducted after the September 11 attacks.

The Pickaxe Mountain facility, a secretive Iranian underground nuclear site located south of Natanz and buried approximately 330 feet beneath the mountain, was another target. Due to its extraordinary depth, which is even deeper than Fordow, some experts questioned whether it was beyond the reach of existing U.S. bunker-busting munitions, raising uncertainty about the effectiveness of the strike in disabling its operations.

No U.S. aircraft came under fire. U.S. officials credited the success to the element of surprise and the use of elaborate deception tactics. Although Israel was not directly involved in the strike, U.S. officials acknowledged extensive coordination with Israeli military and intelligence counterparts in the lead-up to the operation. Israeli forces had conducted parallel operations, degrading Iranian missile launch capabilities, which U.S. officials described as significant contributions to the broader effort.

In the aftermath of the operation, President Trump warned that any retaliation by Iran would be met with overwhelming force. U.S. officials emphasized that the mission’s aim was narrowly focused on eliminating Iran’s nuclear weapons infrastructure, not regime change. Both public and private communications channels were opened with Tehran to encourage a return to diplomatic negotiations.

The strike took place against the backdrop of broader geopolitical tensions, including Iran’s growing cooperation with North Korea, China, and Russia. The Trump administration blamed previous U.S. policies for enabling these alignments but stressed that Operation Midnight Hammer was strictly intended to prevent Iran from achieving a nuclear weapons capability.

Congressional leaders were notified of the strike shortly after its completion in accordance with the War Powers Act. U.S. forces across the Middle East remained on high alert following the operation, with heightened force protection measures in place throughout the region.

Operation Midnight Hammer stands as one of the most complex, large-scale, and strategically coordinated air operations in U.S. military history, showcasing America’s advanced capabilities in stealth warfare, long-range power projection, and joint-force integration.

Iran Retaliates

In response to the American operation, Iran launched several missiles at the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, prompting Qatar to ground air traffic and issue a shelter-in-place alert for Americans. Qatar’s air defenses intercepted the missiles and condemned the attack as a violation of its sovereignty, warning it reserves the right to respond. The strike followed prior U.S. attacks on Iran’s nuclear program, and the U.S. had already evacuated its aircraft from the base. Iran also targeted the Ain al-Assad base in Iraq. American officials, including President Trump, Secretary of Defense Hegseth, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Caine, monitored the situation from Washington. None of the U.S. personnel were injured in the attack.

President Trump said Iran’s missile response was “very weak,” with 14 missiles fired, 13 intercepted, and one allowed to proceed as non-threatening. He emphasized that no Americans were harmed and little damage occurred, thanked Iran for its early warning, which prevented casualties, and expressed hope that Iran has now “gotten it out of their system.” 

Evidence suggested the attack was choreographed with the Qataris and Americans. The U.S. was warned in advance to all but ensure that no damage would occur that would trigger U.S. retaliation.

Trump subsequently said he would “enthusiastically encourage Israel” to pursue peace.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was said to be hiding in a bunker after Israel began its attack on Iran and had not been heard from publicly in a week, made his first remarks on June 26, saying Iran had achieved a victory over Israel and the United States. He said nothing about damage to the nuclear program but insisted the Iranian strike on the Al Udeid Air Base had caused  “some damage” and warned that Iran could “take action again” if necessary.

“The American regime entered into a direct war because it felt that if it did not enter, the Zionist regime would be completely destroyed. But it did not gain anything from this war,” he asserted.

In a subsequent address, he said, “The attacks on our nuclear facilities did not disrupt their operations. Our attack on the American base in Qatar is being downplayed to hide the truth. The extent of the damage caused to the enemy in this attack will be revealed.” He declared victory over “the Zionist entity” and insisted it would have been “completely wiped out” if not for the U.S. intervention, which he nevertheless claimed “achieved nothing.”

Impact

The U.S. operation, combined with earlier Israeli strikes, delivered a devastating blow to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan sustained extensive damage. Centrifuges at Fordo are “no longer operational,” according to Rafael Grossi, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Centrifuges were destroyed, uranium stockpiles became physically inaccessible, and much of Iran’s scientific expertise had already been eliminated in earlier operations. Although enriched uranium remains underground, Iran’s ability to retrieve or process it was severely compromised. Reports suggested Iran might have moved some of its nuclear materials before the strike to secret locations, but that was impossible to verify, and the administration insisted it did not happen.

Iran’s nuclear ambitions definitely suffered a setback. A dispute immediately emerged, however, over the extent of the damage. Trump immediately claimed that the program was “obliterated”; however, a leaked intelligence estimate suggested that the damage was relatively limited and that Iran could recover within a matter of months. The White House pushed back, saying the report was issued preliminarily with “low confidence.” Subsequent intelligence indicated it would take years for Iran to recover. The CIA  confirmed that Iran’s nuclear program was significantly damaged, with several key facilities destroyed and likely to take years to rebuild. Trump subsequently said that Israel sent agents to Fordo, and they said it was total “obliteration.”

U.S. allies “share our sentiments about the degradation of Iran’s nuclear program and the fact we have degraded their program by one or two years … I think we’re thinking closer to two years,” Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said at a press conference.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, admitted the country’s nuclear facilities had sustained “significant and serious damages.”

The best nonpartisan analysis comes from the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), which concluded based on satellite photos and reporting by the IAEA, IDF, and the ISIS archive:

The director general of the IAEA cautioned that Iran still had some remnants of its nuclear program. “They can have, you know, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that. But as I said, frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared and there is nothing there,” he said in a CBS interview. “It is clear that there has been severe damage, but it’s not total damage,” Grossi added. “Iran has the capacities there; industrial and technological capacities. So if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again.”

The operation restored U.S. deterrence, demonstrating the reach and power of the American military, but it did not eliminate the regime or its ability to destabilize the region. Eliminating its nuclear capability ensures, at least in the short run, that Iran will not have a bomb to threaten its neighbors or to use to deter Israel. However, its proxies have been weakened but not destroyed. Hamas continues to fight in Gaza, Iran-backed groups still exist in the West Bank, the Iraqi militias were untouched by the campaign in Iran, and the Houthis are firing missiles at Israel almost daily. More importantly, Iran still has ballistic missiles, as it demonstrated before the ceasefire by hitting a building in Beersheba that killed four Israelis. It also sponsors terror worldwide, including assassination plots against President Trump and former members of his administration.

The ceasefire raised other concerns. While the strikes achieved significant tactical success, critics argued that without binding Iranian commitments, the regime could eventually attempt to rebuild its program. Some insisted that sanctions be maintained and strengthened, and that inspectors be given access to assess the impact of the operation. 

On June 27, Trump announced afternoon that he was suspending the possibility of sanctions relief efforts with Iran after Khamenei declared victory over the U.S. and Israel. “During the last few days, I was working on the possible removal of sanctions, and other things, which would have given a much better chance to Iran at a full, fast, and complete recovery – The sanctions are BITING! But no, instead I get [sic] hit with a statement of anger, hatred, and disgust, and immediately dropped all work on sanction relief, and more,” Trump said on Truth Social. Trump later said Iran would be required to allow international inspectors to ensure it did not rebuild the nuclear program.

Below are photos showing President Trump huddling with his top national security officials in the Situation Room during the historic strikes on the three Iranian nuclear facilities.

Click on photos to enlarge

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