US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday confirmed that American strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities had 바카라devastated the Iranian nuclear program,바카라 in what is being described as one of the most complex and aggressive U.S. military operations in recent years.
Speaking at a Pentagon press conference, Hegseth said the operation, codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer, was carried out under direct orders from President Donald Trump after months of meticulous planning. The strikes targeted Iran바카라s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites.
"This was a decisive and devastating blow," Hegseth said. 바카라While we do not seek war, the United States will act swiftly and decisively when our people, partners, or interests are threatened.바카라
A Coordinated, High-Stakes Mission
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, outlined the details of the operation, which involved more than 125 U.S. aircraft, including seven B-2 stealth bombers, midair refueling tankers, surveillance aircraft, and fighter escorts.
The mission began just after midnight ET on Friday. B-2 bombers launched from the United States, with a portion heading west as a decoy while the main strike group flew eastward in radio silence over an 18-hour flight.
Follow Live Updates On Iran-Israel War
At around 5 p.m. ET Saturday, a US submarine fired more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at surface-level infrastructure at the Isfahan nuclear site. This was followed at 6:40 p.m. ET by a devastating air assault on Iran's most fortified nuclear sites.
The lead B-2 bomber dropped two GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators 바카라 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs 바카라 on the Fordow underground facility. Subsequent bombers struck additional targets at Natanz and Isfahan. All strikes were completed by 7:05 p.m. ET, which corresponds to roughly 2:10 a.m. local time in Iran on Sunday.
No Iranian Military Response
General Caine confirmed that no Iranian air defenses engaged U.S. aircraft during the mission, and all American forces safely exited Iranian airspace without incident.
The strikes mark a significant escalation in the already tense standoff between Iran and Israel, with Washington now fully aligned with Tel Aviv in targeting Iran바카라s nuclear capabilities. The Pentagon emphasized that the operation was preemptive and defensive in nature, citing intelligence assessments of an 바카라imminent threat바카라 posed by Iran바카라s uranium enrichment activities.
Strategic and Political Fallout
The attacks have sparked widespread international concern about the potential for further escalation in the Middle East. Though President Trump has expressed reluctance about deepening military entanglements, especially during recent remarks at the June 2025 G7 summit, this operation signals a major shift in U.S. posture toward Iran.
With diplomatic channels frozen and nuclear diplomacy stalled since the collapse of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Sunday바카라s strikes may mark a turning point 바카라 either toward renewed confrontation or a last-ditch effort to force Iran back to the negotiating table.
