Pentagon reveals massive B-2 strike on Iran’s nuclear sites in “Operation Midnight”. Image: CBS News.
(The Post News)– The Pentagon has officially confirmed the details of a massive U.S. air operation targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, describing the mission code named “Operation Midnight” as the largest operational deployment of B-2 stealth bombers in American military history.
Speaking at a Sunday briefing, General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described the attack as “a complex and highly classified mission”, revealing that seven B-2 Spirit bombers flew more than 18 hours from Missouri, refuelling midair, and met up with U.S. fighter jets and surveillance aircraft in the Middle East. The aircraft entered Iranian airspace undetected. “
At approximately 2:10 a.m. Iranian time, the lead B-2 bomber dropped two GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, or MOPs, on the underground Fordow facility. Over the next 25 minutes, a total of 14 bunker-buster bombs were deployed across multiple targets, while more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from a U.S. submarine struck the site at Isfahan. More than 125 aircraft were involved in the mission, including refueling tankers and electronic warfare planes.
Initial assessments indicate that all three nuclear facilities sustained “extremely severe damage and destruction”, according to Caine, though he added that a full evaluation of the sites is still underway. There were no U.S. casualties or reported engagement with Iranian defense systems, and no radioactive contamination has been detected at the targeted sites, according to both U.S. and Iranian sources.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called the operation an “incredible and overwhelming success,” emphasising that the mission was not aimed at regime change but rather at “neutralising threats to our national interests.” Hegseth added that private messages had been sent to Iran encouraging diplomatic resolution. “The operation President Trump planned was bold and brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back,” he said.
President Trump addressed the nation Saturday night, flanked by Secretary Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance. He praised the mission’s success and warned Iran that if it refuses to pursue peace, more strikes would follow. “These sites have been completely and totally obliterated,” Trump said. “If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill.”
In response, Iran has vowed to defend itself. Though Tehran has launched a barrage of missiles at Israel in retaliation for earlier Israeli strikes, it has so far held back from directly targeting U.S. forces. Iranian lawmakers approved a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which a quarter of the world’s oil supply flows. However, the final decision rests with the country’s Supreme National Security Council.
Global leaders have expressed concern about a wider regional war as the United Nations Security Council prepares for an emergency session. The U.S. says its forces across the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Syria, are on high alert and prepared to defend against any retaliation. “We are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks,” General Caine said. “Any such action would be an incredibly poor choice.”
As the world watches closely, “Operation Midnight” may mark a turning point in the volatile standoff between Washington and Tehran, with diplomatic off-ramps narrowing amid a new phase of open military confrontation.
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