US bombs Iran: See how operation Midnight Hammer unfolded
The United States entered Israel's war against Iran after attacking nuclear facilities with stealth bombers, a guided missile submarine, and an array of support aircraft in a night operation on June 21. President Donald Trump announced the military operation in a Saturday night address, stating that Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities were "obliterated" and threatening future attacks if Iran did not "make peace."
General Dan Caine, Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff, outlined the details of the operation, named "Midnight Hammer" in a June 22 briefing.
Inside the attack: Details revealed of secret US mission to bomb Iran
How Operation Midnight Hammer unfolded:
Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them.
"At midnight Friday into Saturday morning a large B-2 strike package comprised of bombers launched from the continental United States. As part of a plan to maintain tactical surprise, part of the package proceeded to the West and into the Pacific as a decoy," said Caine.
"The main strike package comprised of seven B-2 Spirit bombers, each with two crew members, proceeded quietly to the East with minimal communications."
"As the strike package approached Fordow and Natanz, the U.S. protection package employed high speed suppression weapons to ensure safe passage of the strike package, with fighter assets employing preemptive suppressing fires against any potential Iranian surface-to-air threats," said Caine. "At approximately 6:40 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, 2:10 a.m. Iran time, the lead B-2 dropped two GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator weapons on the first of several aimpoints at Fordow."
Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant is located deep under a mountainside near the city of Qom.
"The remaining bombers then hit their targets as well, with a total of fourteen MOPs dropped against two nuclear target areas. All three Iranian nuclear infrastructure targets were struck betwen 6:40 p.m and 7:05 p.m. Eastern time, again, that's about 2:10 in the morning, local time in Iran," said Caine. "In total, U.S. forces employed approximately 75 precision guided weapons during this operation. This included, as the President stated last night, 14 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, marking the first-ever operational use of this weapon."
According to Department of Defense documents, the GBU-57 is a guided, penetrating weapon with the ability to reach and destroy targets in deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels. The warhead case is made from a high performance steel alloy, which allows for a large explosive payload while maintaining integrity during impact.
"Well prior to the strike General Kurilla elevated force protection measures across the region, especially in Iraq, Syria, and the Gulf. Our forces remain on high alert and are fully postured to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks," said Caine.
What's next?
Roughly 40,000 U.S. troops in the Middle East are bracing for potential counter-attacks, the Department of Homeland Security has issued a bulletin warning of a "heightened threat environment," and Iran's parliament has endorsed the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil transportation route. Trump has threatened further attacks if Iran does not "make peace."
Contributing: Sara Chernikoff, Jennifer Borresen, Ramon Padilla, Sara Chernikoff, and Stephen J. Beard.
Read more:
Live updates: US on 'high alert' for Iran retaliation, says nuke program 'obliterated'
30,000-pound bunker busters used for first time in Iran nuclear facility strikes
Israel-Iran timeline: How Israeli attack and Iranian retaliation unfolded
Israel attacks Iran: See strike map, satellite images of nuclear sites
How does a bunker-buster bomb work? A closer look at the GBU-57
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
12 minutes ago
- USA Today
US stock futures edge up as world awaits Iran response to US strikes
U.S. stock futures are slightly higher as the world waits to see if Iran retailiates after a surprise U.S. strike on Iran over the weekend. President Donald Trump called the attack "a spectacular military success" in a televised address to the nation and said Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities had been "obliterated" though other officials' statements were more measured. Trump said the U.S. military could go after other targets in Iran if the country did not agree to peace. At 6 a.m. ET, futures linked to the blue-chip Dow added 0.1%, or 44 points, to 42,559, while broad S&P 500 futures gained 0.19%, or 11.5 points, to 6,029.50 and tech-heavy Nasdaq futures inched up 0.15%, or 33 points, to 21,877.75. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield edged up to 4.391%. Investors are worried if tensions escalate, how they could affect the economy, oil prices and inflation and interest rates. Oil prices intially rose to a five-month high but pared gains. They were last up 0.49% to $74.20 per barrel. Whether oil prices climb higher will depend on next actions by the U.S. and Iran. Higher oil prices could ignite inflation. "The immediate-term focus is on whether Iran will close the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil supply travels," said Mike O'Rourke, chief market strategist at JonesTrading. A member of the Iranian parliament's National Security commission said 'for now, [parliament has] come to the conclusion we should close the Strait of Hormuz, but the final decision in this regard is the responsibility of the Supreme National Security Council," according to Reuters. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on China to prevent Iran from blocking the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for U.S. airstrike. China is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil and the two countries are friendly. China said it "strongly" condemned the U.S. attack on Iran and said it violated the UN Charter and international law. It called for a ceasefire but didn't offer Iran any substantial assistance. Iran could also retailiate by striking U.S. bases in the region, but Trump has said that will be met with great force. The latest: US warns of 'heightened threat environment' after strikes on Iran nukes: Live updates Cryptocurrency Bitcoin initially fell below the key psychological $100,000 level amid jitters from the U.S. strikes on Iran but has since regained the level. Metaplanet, the Tokyo-listed hotel firm known for its bitcoin acquisition strategy, has acquired 1,111 bitcoin for $117 million. It paid an average of about $105,681 each. Separately, Norway said it will temporarily ban new data centers that mine cryptocurrency with the most power-intensive technology, a move aimed at conserving electricity for other industries. Texas also created a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, the third US state to establish a crypto reserve. Only digital assets with a 24-month average market cap of $500 billion qualify, currently limiting the fund to bitcoin. Texas is the first state to create a standalone, publicly-funded bitcoin reserve outside the usual state treasury Bitcoin was last up 0.58% at $101,560.40. Corporate news Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at mjlee@ and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday.
Bloomberg
14 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Russia Could 'Arm Iran' After US Strikes, Warns Regional Expert
The unprecedented US airstrikes on Iran have set traders and governments worldwide on edge, as the Islamic Republic warns of retaliation and Israel shows no sign of letting up in its assault. President Donald Trump's decision to deploy bunker-busting bombs, Washington's first direct military action against Iran after decades of hostility, has pushed the Middle East into uncharted territory and raised geopolitical risk in a world economy already facing severe uncertainty over his trade war. (Source: Bloomberg)
CNN
14 minutes ago
- CNN
Make Alberta Great Again: In this Canadian province, separatists see Trump as an ally
It's a Monday night in June and hundreds have braved the haze of Canadian wildfires to gather in a cavernous sports facility in the city of Red Deer, Alberta. An Alberta team, the Edmonton Oilers, are taking on the Florida Panthers in a National Hockey League finals game tonight. The atmosphere is heavy with anticipation. But these people aren't here for hockey. This is a rally for Alberta independence. It might be hard to believe, given Canadian sports fans' recent booing of 'The Star Spangled Banner,' but not all Canadians took offense to US President Donald Trump's questioning of their country's sovereignty. In oil-rich Alberta, where a movement for independence from Canada appears to be gathering steam, many see in Trump a powerful and important ally whose haranguing of their former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was as welcome as his calls to 'drill baby, drill.' Though some see US statehood as a step too far, many in the Red Deer crowd believe the US president – as a fellow pro-oil conservative – would recognize a breakaway Alberta should a vote on independence go their way. 'Donald Trump is not the savior of the world,' says Albert Talsma, a welding contractor from Bentley. 'But right now he's North America's best asset.' With their 'Make Alberta Great Again' hats, 'Alberta Republic' T-shirts and posters declaring 'Albertans for Alberta!' it's not hard to see parallels to the US president's MAGA movement and the forces that inspired it. Separatists here have long argued that Canada's federal system fails to represent their interests; that the federal government's efforts to stymie climate change are holding back Alberta's lucrative oil industry (the largest in Canada); that they pay more than they get back through federal taxation; that their conservative values are drowned out by the more liberal eastern provinces. 'Alberta hasn't been treated fairly since 1905, when we joined Confederation. They basically used the west as a colony, to take wealth from the west to support the east,' says Kate Graham, a singing grandmother from Calgary. She opens the rally with a rendition of Janis Joplin's 'Mercedez Benz,' the lyrics modified to promote independence. Like Janis, she sings it a cappella, before spending much of the rest of the event at a booth by the door, selling merch emblazoned with the slogan 'I AM ALBERTAN.' Similar disenchantment is voiced by a steady stream of Albertans, each venting against their mother country on a stage flanked by a large provincial flag strung across a soccer goal. 'They want to stifle our (oil) industry,' says Mitch Sylvestre, a businessman from Bonnyville and one of the rally's chief organizers, his hoarse voice echoing over the PA system. 'We have cancer. We have a problem,' says Sylvestre. 'We have it large.' In a strange twist, the push to get Alberta out of Canada has gained momentum just as much of the country has united in patriotism in the face of Trump's tariffs and threats of annexation. Soon after Prime Minister Mark Carney's Liberals rode a wave of anti-Trump sentiment to win the 2025 federal election in April, the Alberta Legislature passed a law making it easier to organize a referendum on independence. Under the new law, petitions for a province-wide vote now require just 177,000 signatures – down from 600,000 previously – and those signatures can be gathered over a period of four months rather than three. The province is home to nearly 5 million people, according to Statistics Canada, representing more than a tenth of the population of the entire country. One of the most vocal advocates for a referendum is Jeffrey Rath, a lawyer and co-founder of the Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), which organized the Red Deer rally. Rath, well over six feet tall in a cowboy hat and boots, has a ranch just outside of Calgary. He raises race horses there and follows the sport closely, especially the Kentucky Derby – where this year, he notes with a grin, ''Sovereignty' beat 'Journalism.'' 'If you wanna know what's special about Alberta, just look around, right?' Rath says with a sweep of his hand. The view from the rise above Rath's horse pasture is superb: quaking aspen, white pine and green rolling hills. 'It's one of God's treasures on earth. And the people here are very distinct people that have a very distinct culture and that are interested in maintaining that culture.' In Rath's eyes, Trump's attitude toward Canada is an opportunity. His group is counting on US government support in the event of success at the ballot box. 'Trump's election has given us a lot of hope,' Rath says. 'If anybody is going to have the guts to recognize an independent Alberta, (it) would be the Trump administration.' Separatism is not new in Canada, but it's only had real political power in the predominantly Francophone province of Quebec, which has numerous pro-independence parties and voted in two referendums on independence in the past 50 years, rejecting it by a 60/40 margin in 1980 and by around one percentage point in 1995. In Alberta, enthusiasm for separation has waxed and waned for decades, fueled initially by 'Western alienation' – resentment felt in western Canada against a federal system dominated by the more populous eastern provinces. More recently, the movement has attracted Albertans who were angered by federally mandated lockdowns during the Covid pandemic. Among them was Rath, who has in the past faced controversy for suggesting government officials should face murder and negligent homicide charges over what he claims are the ill-effects of the Covid vaccine. A recent poll by the Angus Reid Institute found about a third of Albertans currently support independence, though that support does not break down equally throughout the population. Some of the loudest critics of the idea come from Alberta's indigenous communities, whose treaties with the Canadian crown are older than the province itself. Under pressure from that community, the government added a provision to the referendum bill that guarantees their treaty rights whatever the result. Another poll, by CNN's Canadian broadcast partner CBC, found that more than half of the governing United Conservative Party (UCP) would vote to separate from Canada if given the chance. It also found that, while the percentage of the population backing independence has remained static over the past few years, the share of people who 'strongly' back it has grown. 'We can't ignore the fact that a third or more of Albertans are fed up,' Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, the leader of the UCP, tells CNN. While Smith's party proposed the referendum bill, she says she is against separation herself, preferring to 'get Alberta to exert its sovereignty within a united Canada.' 'We have had, from time to time, these kinds of initiatives flare up,' says Smith. 'And they're almost always in response to a federal government that's out of control. But they have all subsided when the federal government got back in its own lane.' 'I think that it's a notice to Ottawa that they've got to take this seriously,' Smith adds. 'The question is, what can we do to address it?' One of the more explosive questions surrounding secession is whether an independent Alberta might join the United States. In February, a billboard appeared along the highway between Calgary and Edmonton, with text urging onlookers to tell Premier Smith that Alberta ought to 'Join the USA!' superimposed over a picture of her shaking hands with Trump. 'I don't think Albertans are very keen to trade a bad relationship with Ottawa with a bad relationship with Washington,' Smith says when asked about the possibility. In Red Deer, the crowd seems divided on the issue. Most who speak to CNN say they would rather see Alberta as a fully independent country. But others, like construction worker Stephen Large of Czar, Alberta, feel it would be good to have the might of the US on their side – particularly if negotiations fail in the event of a 'yes' vote for independence. 'The minute something happens here toward independence, our federal government is going to be furious,' says Large, who wears a red 'Make Alberta Great Again' cap. 'They will pull out all the stops, military and police and whatever they can find to lock us down, lock us in.' Large points to how former Prime Minister Trudeau briefly invoked the Emergencies Act when Canadian truckers blockaded downtown Ottawa to protest cross-border vaccine mandates in 2022. The statute, which had never been used before, allowed Canadian law enforcement to take extraordinary measures to restore public order – including freezing the bank accounts of certain protesters and banning public assembly in parts of Ottawa. The law also allows the government to deploy troops within Canada to enforce the law, though Trudeau did not invoke that part of the provision in 2022. 'We're gonna need some support from somewhere, and the only place on Earth that is worthy of their support is the United States military,' Large says. A woman sitting in front of Large overhears him and turns around, nodding in agreement. 'I'm with him,' she says, introducing herself as Evelyn Ranger of Red Deer. 'I'm not sure that Alberta or the western provinces, even together, can make it on their own. So, the States is still the better way to go, because you've got the military, you've got the trade and everything already set there.' For his part, Rath refuses to consider whether the federal government might invoke the Emergencies Act or use other measures to put down his movement if it were to unilaterally declare Alberta independent in the event of a 'yes' vote. 'We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but we don't see that happening,' Rath says. Asked if he would be up for an interview at that point, he grins. 'Yeah,' Rath replies, before letting out a laugh. 'It might be from a jail cell.'
