Operation Midnight Hammer was a massive, high-stakes U.S. military airstrike targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, launched in the early hours of June 22, 2025. The operation struck three key sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—using a combination of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, Tomahawk cruise missiles, and Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs), also known as “bunker busters”.
The mission was shrouded in secrecy and executed with elaborate deception tactics. A decoy formation of B-2s flew westward to mislead Iranian defenses, while the real strike force flew east from Missouri, remaining radio-silent for most of the 18-hour journey. The bombers dropped 14 GBU-57 MOPs, each capable of penetrating hundreds of feet of reinforced concrete, while over two dozen Tomahawk missiles were launched from submarines to hit surface target.
According to U.S. officials, the operation caused “extremely severe” damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities, potentially setting back its nuclear program by years. President Trump authorized the strike after concluding that Iran was not negotiating in good faith. Iran has vowed retaliation, and global powers like Russia and China have condemned the attack.