Latest news with #OperationMidnightHammer
USA Today
15 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
CBS News
15 minutes ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Satellite photos show before and after U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities
New satellite photos show the aftermath of the U.S. military strike that dropped multiple 30,000-pound "bunker-buster" bombs on Iran's Fordo nuclear facility and hit two other key locations in Iran's nuclear program. The stealth U.S. mission, dubbed "Operation Midnight Hammer," struck three nuclear facilities in Iran — Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan — in the early hours of Sunday local time. Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Pentagon briefing Sunday that seven B-2 Spirit bombers each carried two of the bombs known as GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, or MOPs. Over 25 minutes, a total of 14 MOPs were dropped on two target areas at Fordo and Natanz, while Tomahawk missiles from a U.S. submarine targeted the Isfahan site, he said. He said it was the first time those massive bombs have ever been used in an operation. "Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction," Caine said. Satellite photos show impact of strikes on Fordo Satellite images from Maxar Technologies, taken Sunday after the strikes, show damage to the mountainside where the underground nuclear site at Fordo is buried about 300 feet down. They can be compared to images of the same location taken before the strikes. Satellite image by Maxar Technologies shows the Fordo underground nuclear facility in Iran before U.S. strikes. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies Satellite image by Maxar Technologies shows the Fordo underground nuclear facility in Iran after U.S. strikes taken on June 22, 2025. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies A layer of ash caused by the airstrikes can be seen across a large swath of the area. The images by Maxar show several large diameter holes or craters on the top of the ridge over the underground complex. Satellite photo taken on June 22, 2025, by Maxar Technologies, shows craters and ash on the ridge at Fordo underground complex in Iran after U.S. strikes. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies Additionally, several of the tunnel entrances that lead to the underground facility appear blocked by dirt following the strikes. Satellite image by Maxar Technologies shows the tunnels leading into the Fordo underground nuclear facility in Iran before U.S. strikes. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies Satellite image from June 22, 2025, by Maxar Technologies shows the tunnels leading into the Fordo underground nuclear facility in Iran after U.S. strikes. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies Asked at the briefing whether any of Iran's nuclear capability remains, Caine said, "I think (battle damage assessment) is still pending, and it would be way too early for me to comment on what may or may not still be there." Iran has yet to offer a damage assessment of the site. The United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency said in a social media post that it had seen "no increase in off-site radiation levels" in the wake of the U.S. strikes. In a statement on Sunday to the U.N. Security Council, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said his team was unable to assess the underground damage at Fordo. Following the attacks, he said there's a "window of opportunity to return to dialogue and diplomacy." "If that window closes, violence and destruction could reach unthinkable levels and the global non-proliferation regime as we know it could crumble and fall," Grossi said. Craters, destroyed buildings in Isfahan and Natanz At Isfahan, which was targeted by about a dozen Tomahawk missiles, satellite images from Sunday show extensive building damage across the facility, compared to images taken June 16. The Israeli military had also heavily bombed Isfahan in recent days Grossi told the UN Security Council that affected buildings include some related to the uranium conversion process. Entrances to tunnels used for the storage of enriched material appear to have been hit, the IAEA director general said. Satellite image by Maxar Technologies shows the Isfahan nuclear facility in Iran on June 16, before U.S. strikes. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies Satellite image by Maxar Technologies on June 22, 2025 shows the Isfahan nuclear facility in Iran after U.S. strikes. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies At the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, a satellite image captured Sunday by Maxar shows an approximately 5.5-meter diameter hole or crater in the dirt directly over part of the underground military complex. Satellite image by Maxar Technologies shows the Isfahan nuclear facility in Iran on June 15, before the U.S. strike. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies Satellite image by Maxar Technologies on June 22, 2025 shows the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran after U.S. strikes. Satellite image ©2025 Maxar Technologies Natanz had been previously damaged by the first Israeli strikes on Iran on June 13. Grossi confirmed Sunday that the fuel enrichment plant in Natanz had been hit again, with the U.S. confirming that it used ground-penetrating munitions. He said Iran has informed the nuclear watchdog there has been no increase in off-site radiation levels following the attacks. However, bombing nuclear facilities "could result in radioactive releases with grave consequence," Grossi warned, urging "maximum restraint." U.S. military used decoys and deception in attack President Trump announced Saturday evening that the U.S. had launched strikes against Iran. He said in a national address later Saturday night that the sites "have been completely and totally obliterated." Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Sunday that the U.S. used decoy B-2 bombers, which flew west over the Pacific from their base in Missouri earlier Saturday, to throw off the Iranians from the true plans. The bombers actually involved in the strike took off on an eastward path, refueling several times on their way to the Middle East. Hegseth added that the U.S. used other methods of deception to protect the B-2 bombers that dropped the 14 "bunker-buster" bombs. He said the tactics helped the U.S. drop the bombs without tipping off Iran's fighter jets or its air missile systems. "Our B-2s went in and out … and back without the world knowing at all," Hegseth said. "In that way, it was historic. A strike that included the longest B-2 Spirit bomber mission since 2001, and the first operational employment of the MOP, a Massive Ordnance Penetrator."
Axios
21 minutes ago
- Politics
- Axios
"It was a headfake": Inside Trump's secret orders to strike Iran
President Trump told the world last Thursday that he would decide " within the next two weeks" whether to strike Iran. 48 hours later, B-2 stealth bombers were whizzing through Iranian airspace — undetected — on a mission to cripple the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. Why it matters: Trump remained open to aborting the mission if a diplomatic window emerged. But his public countdown doubled as a smokescreen — concealing a strike plan that was already in motion, according to multiple officials. "It was a headfake," a Trump adviser told Axios. "He knew the media couldn't resist amplifying it. He knew the Iranians might think he was bluffing. Well, everyone was wrong." "The president wanted to buy time," another adviser said. "He knew what he wanted to do. And he knows he can't look eager for war. So all the folks in MAGA urging restraint gave him some space." Driving the news: The bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities on Saturday marked the most direct and consequential U.S. military action against Iran since the Islamic Republic was founded in 1979. Trump, who praised the operation as a "spectacular military success," came to the decision to join Israel's war after months of failed diplomacy — and one last secret effort to meet with Iranian officials last week. Once Trump decided Thursday that a military intervention was necessary, he tightly controlled the administration's messaging and narrowed the circle of people involved in the planning. Between the lines: As with many moments of geopolitical drama during Trump's two terms, his aides have gone to great lengths to emphasize an image of total command and decisive leadership. "This wasn't a Pentagon operation. This was a Donald Trump operation," a senior administration official told Axios. "He came up with the PR. He chose the plans. He chose the day." "He's no Jimmy Carter," the official said, referencing the last time the U.S. tried direct military action in Iran: Operation Eagle Claw in 1980, a humiliating and failed hostage rescue mission. The complexity of Saturday's Operation Midnight Hammer — which amounted to the largest B-2 strike in U.S. history — required meticulous planning from the Pentagon that likely stretched back years. Behind the scenes: In the first days after Israel launched its unprecedented attack on Iran, Trump hoped a swift nuclear deal could end the war before it escalated further. From the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada last weekend, he began coordinating with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to arrange a high-level meeting between U.S. and Iranian officials in Istanbul. Trump was prepared to send Vice President J.D. Vance and White House envoy Steve Witkoff — or even travel himself to meet Iran's president, if that's what it would take to reach a deal. Vance and Witkoff had even started packing their bags, but it became clear on Monday afternoon that the meeting was not going to happen, senior U.S. official said. Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was in hiding over fears of assassination, couldn't be reached to authorize the talks — and constant Israeli airstrikes made it too dangerous for Iranian officials to leave the country. "The president was ready to go forward with a strike if no diplomatic breakthrough took place. And as the week progressed, he realized that this was the case," a U.S. official told Axios. Zoom in: While still at the G7 summit, Trump gave the Pentagon the order to begin final planning work for a U.S. strike on Iran. On Tuesday, after cutting short his trip to Canada, he convened a Situation Room meeting with his top national security team. Trump pressed for details on the military plans, the reliability of the 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs, and the potential risks of the operation. "The military and the Pentagon told the president they were sure it was going to work," a U.S. official said. On Friday afternoon, a day after suggesting the attack could be delayed, Trump gave Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth the green-light to launch the B-2 bombers. Several hours later, the stealth bombers departed their base in Missouri. Some flew west as decoys. The real strike group headed east toward Iran, according to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. On Saturday afternoon, while still at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, Trump was told the bombers were about to reach the point of no return — the moment they would go into full radio silence. The president gave the final go-ahead. Shortly after, Trump boarded Air Force One and flew back to Washington to be in the Situation Room as the first bombs hit their targets. Sitting in the Situation Room, the president saw that the media was still reporting he was undecided, a U.S. official said. That's when Trump grew confident the operation would be successful. "In the end, it was everything. The timing was right. The Ayatollah gave Trump and the U.S. the middle finger. And that came with a price," said a Trump confidant who spoke with the president in recent days. The intrigue: An extraordinarily small group of officials inside the Trump administration knew about the planned strike. "There were no leaks from the Pentagon or from the White House," a U.S. official said. Trump himself helped maintain the secrecy, using public statements to keep Washington, Tehran and the rest of the world guessing about his true intentions. On Thursday, he told reporters he would decide "within the next two weeks" whether to join the war — signaling that a strike wasn't necessarily imminent. A U.S. official said the president was willing to abort the mission at any minute if he saw a diplomatic opening, but "his instinct at that point was to move forward with a strike." An Israeli official told Axios that by the time Trump made the "two weeks" comment, he had already decided to authorize military action — and knew exactly when it would happen. On Friday night, as the bombers were already in the air, Trump appeared upbeat and relaxed at his golf club in New Jersey. "POTUS was having the time of his life. None of us had any idea that a bunch of bombers were already in the air ready to rain down hell," said one person who spoke with him that evening. What to watch: As the strike was underway, White House envoy Steve Witkoff sent a message to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to make clear that the operation was a one-off and limited strictly to Iran's nuclear program, a U.S. official told Axios. Witkoff, who has remained in direct contact with Araghchi throughout the crisis, emphasized that the U.S. still seeks a diplomatic resolution — and now wants Iran to return to the table following the destruction of its key enrichment sites, the official said. Several senior Trump officials, including Vance and Hegseth, stressed Sunday that the U.S. does not seek regime change in Iran and called on the Iranians to return to the negotiating table. The big picture: Multiple factors ultimately triggered Trump's decision to green-light the strike and go where no president has gone before, advisers told Axios. The CIA, working closely with Israeli intelligence, delivered fresh assessments on Iran's nuclear progress, though skepticism remains about whether Iran had made the formal decision to build a bomb. A damning International Atomic Energy Agency report underscored the urgency. And Israel's success in degrading Iranian air defenses created a window to act. The bottom line: Trump still wants a deal with Iran — and wanted one before the bombers took off, an adviser to the president told Axios.
Daily Mirror
26 minutes ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Inflation 'disaster' looms if Iran's leaders sign off on response to US strikes
Shutting the vital Strait of Hormuz would be bad news for economies around the world, experts have warned after the measure was passed by Iran's parliament today The world could soon be braced for an inflation 'disaster' after Iran's parliament approved closing the key Strait of Hormuz. A whopping 20 percent of global oil and gas goes through the strait and its closure could create the same kind of inflationary shocks that the world felt after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The decision is not final and is now with the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the country's Supreme National Security Council, according to Iranian state TV.. It comes afte r a surprise attack on three of the country's nuclear sites by the US. The move, according to Revolutionary Guards Commander Esmail Kosari 'will be done whenever necessary'. He said to the Young Journalist Club: 'Our hands are wide open when it comes to punishing the enemy, and the military response was only part of our overall response.' The impact of the strait closing would be 'catastrophic' according to business expert Gerrit Heinemann, who spoke to the german news outlet BILD. '[It would be] worse than Corona and Putin combined! The second episode of the ongoing crisis would be even more severe than what we experienced at the beginning of the Ukraine war and during the Corona years. A disaster.' He continued: 'A large part of the global supply chains runs through the affected region. This not only dramatically impacts energy supplies, but also the flow of goods. All of a sudden, all the crises we had just overcome would return: the energy crisis, inflation, disrupted supply chains, and now the threat of mass unemployment.' The strait separates Iran and Oman and is only 21 miles across. As a result it is vulnerable to attacks. There has already been an impact on oil prices following the outbreak of war between Iran and Israel, climbing by 21% in the financial markets over the past month. The Trump administration has signalled a willingness to renew talks with Iran and avoid a prolonged war in the aftermath of its strikes on Iran, known as Operation Midnight Hammer. Defence secretary Pete Hegseth said at a news conference that America 'does not seek war' with Iran while vice president JD Vance said the strikes have given Tehran the possibility of returning to negotiate with Washington. Much of the world is absorbing the consequences of the strikes and the risk that they could lead to more fighting across the Middle East after the US inserted itself into the war between Israel and Iran. Air strikes starting on June 12 by Israel that targeted Iran's nuclear facilities and generals prompted retaliation from Iran, creating a series of events that contributed to the US attack. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK was moving military equipment into the area to protect its interests, people and allies, but that he was focused on finding a solution. While US officials urged caution and stressed that only nuclear sites were targeted by Washington, Iran criticised the actions as a violation of its sovereignty and international law. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said Washington was 'fully responsible' for whatever actions Tehran may take in response.
India Gazette
27 minutes ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
PIB Fact Check debunks claims of US using Indian airspace for strikes on nuke sites in Iran, calls them 'fake'
New Delhi [India], June 23 (ANI): The Fact Check unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) has debunked claims circulating on social media that the US military used Indian airspace to carry out their Operation Midnight Hammer, launched against Iran's nuclear infrastructure. In a post on X on Sunday, the PIB Fact Check unit labelled the assertion as 'FAKE' and clarified, 'Indian Airspace was NOT used by the United States during Operation Midnight Hammer.' The misinformation alleged that US forces utilised Indian airspace to conduct military strikes on Iran's nuclear infrastructure. The fact-checking body cited a press briefing by the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, who detailed the alternative routes taken by US aircraft, dismissing the claims as baseless. 'Several social media accounts have claimed that Indian Airspace was used by the United States to launch aircrafts against Iran during Operation Midnight Hammer. This claim is FAKE. Indian Airspace was NOT used by the United States during Operation Midnight Hammer. During the Press Briefing Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine explained the route used by US aircraft,' the Fact Check unit stated in its post on X. Earlier on Sunday, after the strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran, the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, said Operation Midnight Hammer was designed to 'severely degrade Iran's nuclear weapons infrastructure'. While holding a press briefing at the Pentagon, General Caine presented a detailed map and timeline of the operation, which showed that none of the US aircraft entered the Indian airspace. Detailing the operation, General Caine stated, 'At approximately 6:40 PM EST, 2:10 am Iran time, the lead B-2 two dropped GBU 57 MOP (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) weapons on the first of several aim points at Fordow.' 'As the President stated last night, the remaining bombers then hit their targets as well, with a total of 14 MOPs dropped against two nuclear target areas. All three Iranian nuclear infrastructure targets were struck between 6:40 PM and 7:05 PM EST (2:10 AM local time Iran), with the Tomahawk missiles being the last to strike at Isfahan to ensure we retain the element of surprise throughout the operation,' he added. The US military employed 'several deception tactics', including decoys, to maintain tactical surprise, he said. 'As the Operation Midnight Hammer strike package entered Iranian airspace, the US employed several deception tactics, including decoys, as the 4th and 5th generation aircraft pushed out in front of the strike package at high altitude and high speed, sweeping in front of the package for enemy fighters and surface Air missile threats,' he added. Further, Caine stated that 'at midnight Friday and Saturday morning, a large B2 strike package comprised of bombers launched from the continental United States. As part of the plan to maintain tactical surprise, part of the package proceeded to the West and into the Pacific as a decoy, a deception effort known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders here in Washington and in Tampa.' 'The main strike package, comprised of seven B2 Spirit bombers, each with two crew members, proceeded quietly to the East with minimal communications,' he added. The operation was executed by US Central Command under the command of General Erik Kurilla. Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump said the 'very successful' strikes had hit the Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan underground nuclear sites in Iran. Speaking from the White House, Trump announced that America carried out 'massive precision' strikes on Iran and warned Tehran of further retaliation if peace was not achieved. Iran condemned the attacks, calling them a violation of international law and vowed to continue its nuclear program. A statement issued by the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) confirmed that early on Sunday morning, Iran's nuclear sites were 'subjected to savage aggression--an act in violation of international laws, particularly the NPT.' (ANI)
