Latest news with #MidnightHammer
USA Today
8 minutes ago
- Politics
- USA Today
How Operation Midnight Hammer unfolded: Details of US bombing in Iran
The United States entered Israel's war against Iran after attacking nuclear facilities with stealth bombers, a guided missile submarine, and an array of support aircraft in a night operation on June 21. President Donald Trump announced the military operation in a Saturday night address, stating that Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities were "obliterated" and threatening future attacks if Iran did not "make peace." General Dan Caine, Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff, outlined the details of the operation, named "Midnight Hammer" in a June 22 briefing. Inside the attack: Details revealed of secret US mission to bomb Iran How Operation Midnight Hammer unfolded: Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them. "At midnight Friday into Saturday morning a large B-2 strike package comprised of bombers launched from the continental United States. As part of a plan to maintain tactical surprise, part of the package proceeded to the West and into the Pacific as a decoy," said Caine. "The main strike package comprised of seven B-2 Spirit bombers, each with two crew members, proceeded quietly to the East with minimal communications." "As the strike package approached Fordow and Natanz, the U.S. protection package employed high speed suppression weapons to ensure safe passage of the strike package, with fighter assets employing preemptive suppressing fires against any potential Iranian surface-to-air threats," said Caine. "At approximately 6:40 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, 2:10 a.m. Iran time, the lead B-2 dropped two GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator weapons on the first of several aimpoints at Fordow." Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant is located deep under a mountainside near the city of Qom. "The remaining bombers then hit their targets as well, with a total of fourteen MOPs dropped against two nuclear target areas. All three Iranian nuclear infrastructure targets were struck betwen 6:40 p.m and 7:05 p.m. Eastern time, again, that's about 2:10 in the morning, local time in Iran," said Caine. "In total, U.S. forces employed approximately 75 precision guided weapons during this operation. This included, as the President stated last night, 14 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, marking the first-ever operational use of this weapon." According to Department of Defense documents, the GBU-57 is a guided, penetrating weapon with the ability to reach and destroy targets in deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels. The warhead case is made from a high performance steel alloy, which allows for a large explosive payload while maintaining integrity during impact. "Well prior to the strike General Kurilla elevated force protection measures across the region, especially in Iraq, Syria, and the Gulf. Our forces remain on high alert and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks," said Caine. What's next? Roughly 40,000 U.S. troops in the Middle East are bracing for potential counter-attacks, the Department of Homeland Security has issued a bulletin warning of a "heightened threat environment," and Iran's parliament has endorsed the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil transportation route. Trump has threatened further attacks if Iran does not "make peace." Contributing: Sara Chernikoff, Jennifer Borresen, Ramon Padilla and Stephen J. Beard. Read more: Live updates: US on 'high alert' for Iran retaliation, says nuke program 'obliterated' 30,000-pound bunker busters used for first time in Iran nuclear facility strikes Israel-Iran timeline: How Israeli attack and Iranian retaliation unfolded Israel attacks Iran: See strike map, satellite images of nuclear sites How does a bunker-buster bomb work? A closer look at the GBU-57
Ya Libnan
an hour ago
- Politics
- Ya Libnan
US bombing of Iran started with a fake-out
A satellite view shows an overview of Fordow underground complex, after the U.S. struck the underground nuclear facility, near Qom, Iran June 22, 2025. MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES/Handout via REUTERS By Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali A satellite view shows an overview of Fordow underground complex, after the U.S. struck the underground nuclear facility, near Qom, Iran June 22, 2025. MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES/Handout via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights WASHINGTON, June 22 (Reuters) – As Operation 'Midnight Hammer' got underway on Saturday, a group of B-2 bombers took off from their base in Missouri and were noticed heading out toward the Pacific island of Guam, in what experts saw as possible pre-positioning for any U.S. decision to strike Iran. But they were a decoy. The real group of seven bat-winged, B-2 stealth bombers flew east undetected for 18 hours, keeping communications to a minimum, refueling in mid-air, the U.S. military revealed on Sunday. As the bombers neared Iranian airspace, a U.S. submarine launched more than two dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles. U.S. fighter jets flew as decoys in front of the bombers to sweep for any Iranian fighter jets and missiles. The attack on Iran's three main nuclear sites was the largest operational strike ever by B-2 stealth bombers, and the second-longest B-2 operation ever flown, surpassed only by those following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States by al Qaeda. The B-2 bombers dropped 14 bunker-busting GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, each weighing 30,000 pounds. The operation involved over 125 U.S. military aircraft, according to the Pentagon. From the U.S. military's perspective, the operation was a resounding tactical success. The Iranians were unable to get off a single round at the American aircraft and were caught completely flat-footed, General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon on Sunday. 'Iran's fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran's surface to air missile systems did not see us throughout the mission,' Caine said. 'We retained the element of surprise.' Caine said initial battle damage assessments indicated that all three sites targeted sustained extremely severe damage and destruction, but he declined to speculate whether any Iranian nuclear capabilities might still be intact. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was more confident. 'It was clear we devastated the Iranian nuclear program,' he said, standing alongside Caine in the Pentagon briefing room. Midnight Hammer was highly classified, Caine said, 'with very few people in Washington knowing the timing or nature of the plan.' Many senior officials in the United States only learned of it on Saturday night from President Donald Trump's first post on social media. Hegseth said it took months of preparations to ensure the U.S. military would be ready if Trump ordered the strikes. Caine said the mission itself, however, came together in just a matter of weeks. What happens next is unclear. Gulf states, home to multiple U.S. military bases, were on high alert on Sunday as they weighed the risks of a widening conflict in the region. Guarding against blowback, the U.S. military also dispersed U.S. military assets in the Middle East and heightened force protection for U.S. troops. Hegseth said the U.S. military was positioned to defend itself in the Middle East, but also to respond against Iran if it goes through with longstanding threats to retaliate. The Trump administration said it is not looking for a wider war with Iran, with Hegseth saying private messages had been sent to Tehran encouraging them to negotiate. But Trump has also warned Iran that the U.S. is prepared to hit additional targets if needed, using far greater force. 'Iran would be smart to heed those words. He said it before, and he means it,' Hegseth said. Reuters
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
US strikes Iran: Does Iran have nuclear sites in secret locations? Will Strait of Hormuz be closed? Answering all FAQs
President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that the US conducted strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities - Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan - amid the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. Officials on Sunday stated that the strikes were not a preamble to regime change, naming the operation 'Midnight Hammer'. Trump said US destroyed Iran's Fordow nuclear site(AFP) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Iran against following through with past threats of retaliation against the United States and said US forces would defend themselves. "This mission was not and has not been about regime change," Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon. Now, several questions have emerged since the US's strikes on Iran. Below are answers to frequently asked questions about potential secret nuclear sites in Iran and the possibility of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz. Read More: Every US citizen a 'target': Iran after US strikes on Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow nuclear sites Does Iran Have Nuclear Sites in Secret Locations? The US targeted Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, known as Iran's primary nuclear enrichment and research facilities. Fordow, buried deep in a mountain, is the most fortified, while Natanz hosts large-scale uranium enrichment, and Isfahan contains research and fuel production. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitors these sites and reported no off-site radiation post-strikes, suggesting no undetected radioactive material release. Secret sites possibility: A 2018 Israeli intelligence operation revealed documents suggesting undeclared sites, though no concrete evidence of operational secret facilities has emerged since. The IAEA's Rafael Grossi noted that assessing underground damage is challenging, and Iran's claim of evacuating materials from Fordow hints at preparedness. Read More: Iran 'reserves all options' to defend itself after US strikes, says foreign minister Will Iran Close the Strait of Hormuz? Iran's parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil route handling 20% of global petroleum, in retaliation for US strikes. However, the decision requires approval from Iran's Supreme National Security Council and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, and no closure has been enacted as of now. Shipping companies like Hapag-Lloyd report the strait remains open, with high alert levels. Closing the Strait would spike oil prices, potentially causing a global recession. Iran's economy, reliant on oil exports through the strait, would also suffer. Vice President JD Vance called closure 'suicidal' for Iran, urging diplomacy. Additional FAQs What Was the US Strike's Scope? Codenamed 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' the US used multiple B-2 bombers to drop bunker busters on Fordow and Natanz, and 30 Tomahawk missiles from submarines on Natanz and Isfahan. Was Iran's Nuclear Program Destroyed? President Trump claimed the sites were 'totally obliterated,' but the IAEA and Iranian officials dispute this, noting no radioactive contamination and ongoing nuclear knowledge.
DW
2 hours ago
- Politics
- DW
Iran says US must 'receive a response' to strikes – DW – 06/22/2025
Iran's president has said his country has to respond following US attacks on Iranian nuclear sites. The US called operation "Midnight Hammer" an "overwhelming success." Follow DW for Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned against "another cycle of destruction" during an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council following the US bombing of nuclear sites in Iran. "I have repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East," the UN chief said. "And yet, we now risk descending into a rathole of retaliation after retaliation." Guterres said the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities marks a "perilous turn in a region already reeling." Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the United States must "receive a response" to its attacks on nuclear sites in Iran. "The Americans must receive a response to their aggression," Pezeshkian told French President Emmanuel Macron, according to the official IRNA news agency. In a post on X, Macron said that during the conversation with Pezeshkian, he "called for de-escalation and for Iran to exercise the utmost restraint in this dangerous context, to allow a return to diplomatic channels." Pezeshkian called on Iranians to unite in the face of the attacks from Israel and the US. He joined a march in Tehran where demonstrators chanted slogans against Israel and the US, the Fars news agency reported. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said earlier Sunday that there would be "everlasting consequences" for the US attacks. The State Department has ordered all non-essential personnel and the families of staff at the US Embassy in Lebanon to leave as concerns mount about Iranian retaliation for US strikes in Iran. In a notice issued on Sunday, the State Department said it had taken the step "due to the volatile and unpredictable security situation in the region." The notice made no mention of any potential evacuation flights or other assistance for private US citizens wanting to leave Lebanon but said they should try to use existing commercial services to depart. The US has already organized several evacuations of American citizens from Israel and is advising American citizens in Iran on how to leave the country. Iran's Supreme National Security Council must make the final decision on whether to close the Strait of Hormuz following US bombing raids, Iran's Press TV said on Sunday. Parliament is reported to have backed the measure, with Iran having long used the threat of closing the Strait, through which around 20% of global oil and gas demand flows, to fend off pressure from the West. Tensions are at their highest following the overnight US strikes on its nuclear facilities. A decision to close the strait is not yet final. Esmail Kosari, a member of parliament's national security commission, was quoted on Iranian media as saying: "For now, [parliament has] come to the conclusion we should close the Strait of Hormuz, but the final decision in this regard is the responsibility of the Supreme National Security Council." Kosari, who is also a Revolutionary Guards Commander, had earlier told the Young Journalist Club that closing the strait was on the agenda and would be done "whenever necessary." Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi had dodged the question when he was pressed, replying: "A variety of options are available to Iran." The strait lies between Oman and Iran and links the Mideast Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south and the Arabian Sea beyond. It is 21 miles (33 kilometers) wide at its narrowest point, with the shipping lane just two miles wide in either direction. Israel said that it deployed around 30 fighter jets to carry out massive attacks in Iran on Sunday. With the move, Israel has expanded its offensive launched more than a week ago, a military spokesman said in a statement. The statement said Israel had "struck dozens of military targets throughout Iran," including "the 'Imam Hussein' Strategic Missile Command Center in the Yazd area, where long-range Khorramshahr missiles were stored." The Israeli military also confirmed strikes on missile launchers in the Bushehr province, where a "massive explosion" was reported by Iranian media. It also confirmed strikes in Ahvaz in the southwest and central Isfahan, which is home to a uranium conversion facility targeted by more than two dozen missiles fired from a US submarine in the Middle East overnight. Israeli military spokesman Effie Defrin said there would be no interruption in the offensive against Iran after overnight US strikes. "We are continuing and are determined to achieve the objectives of the operation: eliminating the existential threat to the state of Israel, damaging Iran's nuclear programme and destroying its missile systems," Defrin said. The UN's nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told CNN on Sunday that it was not yet possible to assess the damage done after US strikes hit Iran's Fordo enrichment site, which is buried in a mountain. Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), also called on all sides to return to the "negotiating table as soon as possible." He added that "inspectors need to be able to return to Iran's nuclear sites." Inspectors have not been able to inspect Iran's nuclear facilities since the first strikes on them by Israel on June 13. Grossi added the UN nuclear body would hold an "emergency meeting" at the organization's headquarters in Vienna on Monday in response to the US strikes. Meanwhile, the IAEA wrote on the social media platform X that it had not detected any increase in radiation levels at key nuclear sites in Iran after the US strikes. "Following attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran... the IAEA can confirm that no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported as of this time," the watchdog said on X. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the world was "safer" after the US strikes on Iran. He spoke about the strikes on US broadcaster Fox News' show "Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo." Rubio warned Iran against retaliating against the US, saying such an action would be "the worst mistake they've ever made." "I think the world today is safer and more stable than it was 24 hours ago," he said, warning Iran that it risked further reprisals if it insisted on maintaining a "secret" nuclear program. Iran has said its nuclear program serves exclusively civilian purposes. Rubio accused Iran of entering into "fake negotiations" ahead of the strikes in a bid to "play" US President Donald Trump. Officials from the US and Iran had been scheduled to meet on June 15, but that meeting was canceled after Israel launched attacks on Iran on June 13. US Vice President JD Vance said his country was only at war with Iran's nuclear program, adding that the program had been pushed back following US airstrikes ordered by President Donald Trump. "We're not at war with Iran. We're at war with Iran's nuclear program," Vance said in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press with Kristen Welker." "I think that we have really pushed their program back by a very long time," Vance said. "I think that it's going to be many, many years before the Iranians are going to be able to develop a nuclear weapon." The US had been in diplomatic talks with Iran about Tehran's nuclear program, but Vance accused Iran of not negotiating in good faith, which he said served as a catalyst for US strikes. "We don't want a regime change," Vance added. "We do not want to protract this... We want to end the nuclear program, and then we want to talk to the Iranians about a long-term settlement here. "I actually think it provides an opportunity to reset this relationship, reset these negotiations and get us in a place where Iran can decide not to be a threat to its neighbors, not to a threat to the United States and if they're willing to do that, the United States is all ears," Vance said. Vance explained that Trump made the final decision to strike Iran right before the strikes took place and that Washington has received some "indirect" messages from Tehran since the strikes. He did not elaborate on the content of the messages. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that by bombing nuclear program sites in Iran, the US had "blown up diplomacy." (See entry below) To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video America's top military officer, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, told reporters on Sunday that overnight US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities had included 14 massive ordnance penetrator or "bunker-buster" bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles and over 125 military aircraft. Caine called "Operation Midnight Hammer" the largest B-2 operational strike in US history, explaining that seven B-2 stealth bombers had flown 18 hours from the US mainland to Iran and refueled mid-air several times along the way to carry out the mission. Despite claims from President Trump and Secretary of Defense Hegseth that Iran's nuclear program was "obliterated", Caine said a battle damage assessment was still ongoing. He said US troops in the region were given no advanced warning and remain on high alert. The general said initial assessments indicated "extreme damage and destruction" at three Iranian nuclear sites. Caine said the US troops had used deceptive tactics and completed their mission of delivering some 75 precision-guided weapons to targets inside Iran undetected — maintaining the element of surprise throughout. Adding that "no other military in the world could have done this," Caine advised Iran to refrain from striking back against the US, saying that to do so would be "a poor choice." Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) issued a warning to US military bases in the Middle East after overnight US airstrikes on the country's nuclear sites. "By attacking the peaceful nuclear facilities, [US forces] have de facto put themselves in direct danger," the IRGC said, according to the Fars news agency. Iran, it said, would "use options beyond the understanding... of the agressor front, and the aggressors of this land must expect regrettable responses." The overnight US airstrikes ordered by US President Donald Trump targeted nuclear facilities in three locations in Iran, including the well-fortified uranium enrichment plant at Fordo. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The IRGC also said it would continue to target Israel, which has been hit by multiple waves of missile and drone attacks since Israel struck Iran on June 13. The United States has many bases around the Persian Gulf, including in Bahrain and Qatar. Some are located relatively close to Iran, which could make them targets of retaliation. Around 40,000 members of the US military are currently stationed in the region. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday called military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities "an incredible and overwhelming success" that had "obliterated Iran's nuclear ambitions." Hegseth said neither Iranian troops nor civilians had been targeted in the US operation. Just hours after the airstrikes on Iran, Hegseth echoed President Trump, claiming the US "seeks peace." He went on to say, "We will act swiftly and decisively when our people, our partners or our interests are threatened." Hegseth praised Trump for the operation, which he said had been months in the making: "The operation President Trump planned was bold and it was brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back. When this president speaks, the world should listen." Iranian media have reported "massive" blasts in the southern city of Bushehr, home to Iran's only nuclear reactor. Iranian authorities have not yet reported any problem at the plant, which is operated with Russian assistance. The cause of the blasts was not immediately clear. China's Foreign Ministry has criticized the US attacks on Iran, saying they "escalate tensions in the Middle East" and go against the UN Charter. Among other things, it said it condemned the targeting of nuclear facilities supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency. "China calls on all parties to the conflict, especially Israel, to cease fire as soon as possible," the ministry said in a statement. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Iran threatens US with ‘everlasting consequences' after strikes on nuclear sites
The US has attacked three nuclear sites in Iran in what President Trump has described as a spectacular military success. Three sites were targeted, two using the world's most powerful non-nuclear bomb. Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas says the strikes are a "grave violation" of international law and will have "everlasting consequences". The operation was codenamed Midnight Hammer and involved more than 125 aircraft. At 2:10 am local time, the US dropped the first bunker buster bomb on Fordow, a Uranium enrichment site, hidden in a remote mountainside vital to Iran's nuclear ambitions. The US then hit two other nuclear sites, Natanz, another Uranium enrichment facility, and Isfahan, a significant research base understood to store much of Iran's enriched uranium. Isfahan was struck with Tomahawk missiles launched from a US submarine, rather than B-2 stealth bombers.
