The United States has officially released detailed information regarding its overnight military strikes on Iranian nuclear installations. In a joint press conference, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kane briefed the media on the operation targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Secretary Hegseth stated that the U.S. has “crippled Iran’s nuclear program,” reiterating America’s long-standing position that Iran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. “President Trump has made it clear time and again — a nuclear-armed Iran is unacceptable,” he said.
He praised the performance of U.S. personnel involved in the attack on the Fordow nuclear plant, calling their execution “exceptional.” Hegseth added, “Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been neutralized.”
He further warned that any retaliation from Iran would be met with a response “even stronger than last night.” He also noted that no Iranian military personnel or civilians were harmed in the operation.
Providing operational details, General Dan Kane revealed that the mission was codenamed “Operation Midnight Hammer.” He described the operation as “highly classified,” with only a limited number of officials informed prior to execution.
General Kane said that over 125 U.S. military aircraft, including seven B-2 stealth bombers, participated in what he described as the largest B-2 operation in American military history. He disclosed that a total of 75 precision-guided munitions were used in the strike, including 14 GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs, marking the first operational use of that specific weapon.
According to Kane, the B-2 bombers took off from U.S. soil late Friday night, flying both eastward and westward routes to preserve operational secrecy. The aircraft refueled multiple times midair during the 18-hour flight.
Moments before the B-2s entered Iranian airspace, a U.S. submarine launched Tomahawk cruise missiles targeting installations near Isfahan. At exactly 2:10 a.m. Iranian local time, the first B-2 dropped two GBU-57 bombs on the Fordow facility, followed by successive strikes on targets in Natanz and Isfahan, all within a 25-minute window.
General Kane said preliminary assessments indicate “severe destruction” at all three nuclear sites. “Iran’s air defenses never saw us,” he claimed, stating that U.S. aircraft faced no resistance and exited Iranian airspace without engagement.
He concluded by saying: “What the U.S. military accomplished tonight, no other force in the world could have done. We remain on high alert.”
