In a shocking and historic military operation, the United States launched a massive airstrike against Iran's key nuclear installations with B-2 stealth bombers and Tomahawk cruise missiles on Saturday. According to the Pentagon, the clandestine campaign, designated Operation Midnight Hammer, was one of the biggest and most successful stealth bombing missions in recent history. According to U.S. military officials, the strike targeted three of Iran’s primary nuclear sites, inflicting “extremely severe damage and destruction.” The coordinated attack had more than 125 military aircraft involved and was carried out with such precision and stealth that no single round was shot at the American planes by Iranian troops.

Decoy Strategy, Air Superiority Marked US Mission

The mission started off with a squadron of B-2 aircraft departing from their base in Missouri, heading west towards Guam, described as a strategic decoy by the military analysts cited by Reuters. The real attack group of seven bat-winged B-2 stealth bombers traveled east undetected for 18 hours, maintaining radio silence and refueling in mid-air before heading towards the airspace of Iran. When the bombers approached, a US Navy submarine fired more than two dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles to silence air defenses. US fighter jets flew ahead as 'decoys' to confuse any Iranian radar or response teams. The B-2 bombers released GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, also referred to as bunker-busters, each weighing 30,000 pounds. It was the second-longest B-2 mission ever performed, behind only post-9/11 operations.

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Addressing the news conference Sunday, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine hailed the operation a sweeping tactical success. “Iran’s fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran’s surface-to-air missile systems did not see us throughout the mission, We retained the element of surprise,” Gen. Caine said. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, standing beside Caine, added that initial battle damage assessments confirmed "devastating" effects on Iran's nuclear facilities. "It's obvious we devastated the Iranian nuclear program. This was a message, and we're ready to send another one if necessary," Hegseth said. As the operation was of a highly secret nature, most top officials are said to have heard about it for the first time when President Donald Trump tweeted late Saturday evening. According to the Pentagon, the mission took months of preparation but came together operationally within weeks.

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Gulf States on Alert as US Disperses Forces

In anticipation of Iranian retaliation, countries in the Gulf that host US military bases have put themselves on high alert. The Pentagon had already relocated US military resources throughout the Middle East and increased force protection procedures to protect against possible Iranian retaliation. Defense officials disclosed that private diplomatic communications had been dispatched to Tehran, calling for de-escalation. But Secretary Hegseth made it clear that US is ready for more action. “Iran would be smart to heed those words. President Trump said it before, and he means it,” Hegseth said.