On the 22nd, a press conference was held at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, where US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Cain spoke. The strike on Iranian nuclear facilities on the 21st (local time) involved a massive operation with a total of 125 aircraft deployed, including seven B-2 stealth bombers and 4th and 5th generation fighter jets. General Dan Cain, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that this operation was “the largest B-2 stealth bomber operation in US history” and reported that the target sites sustained significant damage and destruction. However, he withheld comments on whether Iran’s nuclear capabilities were completely dismantled, noting that it was too early to assess. Secretary Hegseth emphasized that the strike was a precise military action targeting only nuclear facilities, not the Iranian regime or civilians, and affirmed that regime change in Iran was not an objective.
In a briefing at the US Department of Defense on the morning of the 22nd (local time), General Cain explained that “Operation Midnight Hammer” was conducted with strict confidentiality, and very few people in Washington were aware of the plan’s details.
According to General Cain, the operation commenced with seven B-2 Spirit bombers departing from Missouri at midnight on the 21st to target Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities, during an 18-hour flight with multiple aerial refuelings. The bombers were supported by US fighter jets and support aircraft as they operated over the Middle East. General Cain revealed that some squadrons deployed toward the Pacific were decoys. Earlier, US media reported that six B-2 bombers were heading to a US Air Force base in Guam.
At around 5 PM on the 21st, just before the bombing, a US Navy submarine fired more than 20 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a target in the Isfahan region. Subsequently, the B-2 bombers entered the airspace over Fordow and Natanz.
At 6:40 PM Iran time (2:10 AM local time), the lead B-2 bomber dropped two 30,000-pound GBU-57 bunker buster bombs on the Fordow nuclear facility. Over the next 25 minutes, a total of 14 GBU-57 bombs were dropped on two targets, and the mission concluded with Tomahawk missiles striking Isfahan.
General Cain stated that no Iranian fighters were scrambled, nor did their ground-to-air missile systems detect the operation, maintaining the element of surprise throughout the mission. The entire operation involved over 125 aircraft, including the B-2 bombers, and utilized around 75 precision-guided munitions.
This marked the longest B-2 bomber mission since 2001 and the first time the GBU-57 was used in combat. Secretary Hegseth praised the mission as a historic military operation carried out in complete secrecy, emphasizing that the strike was a precise military action targeting only nuclear facilities. He reiterated that regime change in Iran was not a goal, stating, “President Trump seeks peace. Iran must follow that path. The US does not pursue war.” He added that clear messages have been delivered to Iran both publicly and privately on what actions are necessary for peace.
Currently, the US military is on heightened alert in the Middle East, preparing for potential retaliation from Iran or its allied forces. General Cain stressed, “We will certainly act in defense of our national security, and it is a critical time for Iran to make wise judgments.”
US President Donald Trump held an emergency press conference on the night of the 21st, announcing, “We executed precise airstrikes on three critical Iranian nuclear facilities. The facilities were completely and thoroughly destroyed.”