“President Trump directed the most complex and secretive military operation in history, and it was a resounding success,” said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. He added that the operation “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities and created conditions for a cease-fire agreement.
Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, explained that the targeted facility was built to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons. He said the Fordow site, located about 60 miles south of Tehran, had been under long-term surveillance.
“In 2009, a [Defense Threat Reduction Agency] officer was brought into a vault at an undisclosed location and briefed on something going on in Iran,” Caine said. He described how two DTRA officers spent 15 years analysing the underground site and working to develop a weapon capable of destroying it.
“They began a journey to work with industry and other tacticians to develop the GBU-57,” Caine explained. He noted that hundreds of test shots were conducted to perfect the bomb, aimed solely at ensuring the site could be destroyed when the time came.
As part of Operation Midnight Hammer, U.S. B-2 Spirit bombers dropped 12 GBU-57 bombs on the site on 21 June at 6:45 p.m. EDT, or 2:15 a.m. local time in Iran. The bombs, dropped from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, reportedly set back Iran’s nuclear efforts by years.
According to Caine, the weapons performed exactly as intended, hitting their targets with precision. “This was the brightest explosion that I’ve ever seen. It literally looked like daylight,” one pilot reported.
The mission involved B-2 crews from both active duty and the Missouri National Guard, who flew over 13,000 miles in a 36-hour operation. “When the crews went to work on Friday, they kissed their loved ones goodbye — not knowing when or if they’d be home,” Caine said.
He praised the combined effort of scientists, airmen, maintainers, and the DTRA experts. “This … is what America’s Joint Force does,” he said, emphasising the level of preparation behind the strike.
Following the operation, Iranian forces launched a retaliatory missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Caine confirmed that U.S. and Qatari Patriot missile crews successfully defended the base.
He said just 44 American soldiers, alongside Qatari allies, shielded the entire facility, including Centcom’s forward headquarters. “The oldest soldier was a 28-year-old captain. The youngest was a 21-year-old private,” Caine noted.
The response was swift and effective, with what Caine called “the largest single Patriot engagement in U.S. military history.” Missiles and debris filled the sky as defenders made rapid decisions under pressure.
“Our U.S. air defenders had only seconds to make complex decisions with strategic impact,” Caine said. He praised them as “the unsung heroes of the 21st century United States Army.”
Hegseth concluded the briefing by underscoring the significance of the mission. “It gives us a chance to have peace, a chance to have a deal, an opportunity to prevent a nuclear Iran,” he said.
