In late June 2025, the U.S. launched Operation Midnight Hammer, a significant military operation sending a clear message: Iranian nuclear infrastructure would not go unchallenged.
According to Pentagon briefings, the campaign used stealth bombers and fighter jets to strike Iran’s most sensitive nuclear and research facilities.
✈️ Scale and Arsenal
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Seven B‑2 Spirit bombers deployed across a mission involving 125 aircraft, including fighters, tankers, stealth decoys, and aerial refuelers.
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Dropped 14 GBU‑57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) on Fordow and Natanz-sites once believed impregnable.
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A U.S. Navy submarine launched Tomahawk cruise missiles targeting the Isfahan conversion or research site.
🎯 High-Value Missions Deployed
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Fordow’s underground uranium enrichment halls were struck, generating craters but, in initial assessments, without fully neutralizing the site.
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Natanz and Isfahan were damaged, with Iran claiming containment of radiation and lack of spikes in off-site levels.
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Statement from U.S. officials stressed: "No Iranian missiles fired at U.S. bombers," and that all American assets returned safely.
🧭 Strategic Intent and Surprise Tactics
The operation emphasized operational secrecy and strategic misdirection:
‑ Decoy B‑2 flights westward to distract Iranian defenses.
‑ Use of stealth and precision to carry out what the Pentagon called the largest B‑2 strike in history.
‑ U.S. defense officials stated the objective was narrowly focused on nuclear capability, not regime change.
💥 Damage Reports and Ongoing Risks
Initial damage reports indicate heavy surface-level destruction-craters, collapsed roofs, and deeply compromised underground infrastructure. However, intelligence experts caution that:
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The underground facilities weren’t completely demolished.
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Iran may have relocated some sensitive materials ahead of the strikes.
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Long-term recovery dependent on nuclear engineering resilience and rebuilding timelines.
🌍 Diplomatic and Regional Fallout
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International agencies, including the IAEA, found no dangerous radiation increase.
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Iran’s clerical leaders responded with quiet defiance, choosing diplomacy over military reaction-for now.
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In Israel, symbolic gestures followed: the Knesset lit up in American flag colors to express gratitude.
🧭 What Comes Next
This operation didn’t mark the end-it signaled escalation:
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U.S. officials warned that further responses would be deliberate.
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Iran’s Foreign Minister was en route to Moscow to assess strategic options after the strikes.
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The broader Middle East watches closely, with fears that regional proxies may now become active.
