‘Operation Midnight Hammer’: US releases details of strike on Iranian nuclear sites

Washington: The United States has released details of last night's strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kane shared the details of the attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities during a press conference.

The US Secretary of Defense stated that the United States has destroyed Iran's nuclear program. “We have repeatedly said that Iran will not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons,” he said. “President Trump has said multiple times that Iran cannot be allowed to possess nuclear weapons.”

Pete Hegseth praised the American personnel involved in the attack on the Fordow nuclear plant, saying every American service member performed exceptionally well. “Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been crushed,” he added.

He further warned, “If Iran retaliates, the response will be even harsher than last night.”

The US Secretary of Defense also claimed that no Iranian military personnel or civilians were harmed in the operation.

While sharing the operational details, General Dan Kane said the operation was named Operation Midnight Hammer. He added that it was an extremely secret mission, known only to a few individuals.

He said the operation involved over 125 military aircraft, including 7 B-2 bombers, marking the largest deployment of B-2 bombers in US history.

General Kane stated that a total of 75 guided munitions were used in the attack, including 14 GBU-57 bombs — marking the first operational use of this particular bomb.

He added that the stealth B-2 bombers departed from the US on Friday night. Some flew west, while others headed east in secrecy. During their 18-hour journey, the aircraft conducted multiple mid-air refuelings.

According to General Kane, just before the bombers entered Iranian airspace, a US submarine launched Tomahawk cruise missiles targeting several installations in Isfahan.

At exactly 2:10 a.m. Iranian time, the first B-2 bomber dropped two GBU-57 bombs on the Fordow nuclear plant. Following this, other bombers targeted their respective objectives. Targets in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz were hit within a 25-minute window.

The general said that initial assessments indicate all three of Iran’s nuclear facilities were destroyed or significantly damaged.

He further stated that Iranian air defenses did not detect or engage the American aircraft. “Their surface-to-air defense systems never saw us,” he said. “The US military remains on high alert. What we achieved in Iran — no other military in the world could have done.”