US President Donald Trump announced that the United States has “totally obliterated” three Iranian nuclear sites in what he called “spectacularly successful” strikes. The military used “bunker buster” bombs and missiles to target the heavily fortified Fordow facility, as well as Natanz and Isfahan sites. The operation, code-named “Operation Midnight Hammer,” involved seven B-2 stealth bombers and over 125 US aircraft, including fighter jets, tankers, surveillance aircraft, and support crews.
The targeted sites include the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, located about 95km southwest of Tehran, which is built deep inside a mountain to survive air strikes and bunker buster attacks. The Natanz Nuclear Facility, Iran’s main uranium-enrichment complex, was also hit, with the above-ground section of a pilot fuel enrichment plant destroyed in a previous Israeli strike. The Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center, a key conversion and research facility, was struck as well.
According to General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the strikes were carried out with precision, with the lead B-2 dropping two GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) on Fordow, followed by a total of 14 MOPs dropped across Fordow and Natanz. The Pentagon described it as the largest B-2 combat operation in US history and the second-longest B-2 mission ever flown.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the strikes as a “grave violation” of international law, warning of “everlasting” consequences. Iranian officials claimed that no irreversible damage was sustained during the strikes and that authorities had evacuated all three sites in advance. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran vowed to continue its nuclear activities despite the strikes.
The strikes drew mixed reactions globally, with some world leaders welcoming the move to incapacitate Iran’s nuclear program, while others expressed concern over escalation. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Trump’s decision, stating that it would “change history.” The US intervention comes after Israel launched strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites, accusing Tehran of making an atomic bomb, which Iran and the United Nations nuclear watchdog have rejected.
In the aftermath of the strikes, the US State Department ordered the departure of family members and non-emergency US government personnel from Lebanon. The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on the airstrikes at the request of Iran. Trump’s decision to launch direct military action against Iran without Congressional approval has been met with criticism from some lawmakers, who argue that it is a clear violation of the Constitution.
