In an unprecedented and meticulously coordinated military operation on June 21, 2025, the United States launched a large-scale airstrike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, targeting the fortified facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

The mission, codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer, marked a significant escalation in the ongoing Iran–Israel conflict and showcased the reach and precision of American strategic capabilities.

The operation began with the departure of B-2A Spirit stealth bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. These bombers, each valued at approximately $2 billion, undertook a non-stop, 37-hour round-trip flight covering over 7,000 miles, enabled by multiple aerial refuellings.

The B-2s, renowned for their stealth and long-range capabilities, penetrated Iranian airspace undetected, evading Iran’s dense network of Russian-made surface-to-air missile defences through a combination of advanced stealth technology and diversionary tactics, including decoy flights.

The centrepiece of the strike was the use of the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), a 30,000-pound (13,600 kg) bunker-buster bomb engineered to breach up to 200 feet of earth or 60 feet of reinforced concrete.

This weapon was specifically chosen to target the Fordow enrichment facility, which is buried beneath nearly 300 feet of mountain and considered the most secure site in Iran’s nuclear program. Six B-2 bombers delivered a total of 12 MOPs on Fordow, reportedly causing “extreme damage and destruction,” though a full assessment of the impact was pending at the time of official statements.

Simultaneously, the Natanz and Isfahan sites were struck by a coordinated barrage of approximately 30 submarine-launched BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles. These precision-guided munitions, launched from U.S. Navy submarines positioned in the Arabian Sea, were timed to hit their targets nearly simultaneously with the B-2 bombers’ attack, maximizing the element of surprise and overwhelming Iranian defenses.

U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, hailed the operation as a “spectacular military success,” claiming that the strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity and set back its program by years. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported no increase in off-site radiation levels following the attacks, suggesting that the strikes were both precise and contained.

Diplomatic channels were used immediately after the operation to communicate to Iran that the strikes were limited in scope and that the U.S. was not pursuing regime change, aiming to prevent further escalation. However, Iranian officials condemned the attack as a violation of international law and vowed to retaliate, raising concerns about the potential for a broader regional conflict.

The U.S. operation demonstrated advanced military planning, technological superiority, and the ability to conduct long-range, high-risk missions with global reach. The successful use of stealth bombers, massive bunker-buster bombs, and cruise missiles in a synchronised assault on some of the world’s most heavily defended and fortified nuclear sites represents a new chapter in modern warfare and a significant moment in the ongoing standoff over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Agencies