Massive US military strikes have targeted three key Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—in a dramatic escalation of regional tensions. The United States, led by President Donald Trump who declared the sites “totally obliterated” in “spectacularly successful” strikes, utilized an array of advanced weaponry including powerful bunker-buster bombs and submarine-launched missiles.
While the full extent of the impact remains subject to conflicting reports, new satellite images captured after the operation are providing visual evidence of significant damage at the targeted locations.
Operation Midnight Hammer: The US Strike Unveiled
Codenamed “Operation Midnight Hammer,” the highly complex and secretive mission was described by US officials as the largest B-2 combat operation in US history and the second-longest B-2 mission ever flown. General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, detailed an immense force of over 125 US aircraft, including stealth bombers, fighter jets, tankers, and surveillance aircraft.
The core of the strike involved seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers launched from the United States. To maintain tactical surprise during their 18-hour flight, a sophisticated deception plan was employed, including a decoy group flying a different route while the main strike force minimized communications.
The aerial assault was synchronized with precision missile strikes. The operation commenced with submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles hitting surface infrastructure targets in Isfahan. Approximately an hour later, B-2s began dropping GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs), the colossal 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs, on the heavily fortified Fordow and Natanz facilities. A total of 14 MOPs were delivered across these two sites over about 25 minutes. The strikes across all three sites concluded within a tight timeframe, with final Tomahawk waves striking Isfahan again to preserve surprise. In total, US forces reportedly launched around 75 precision-guided weapons.
Notably, this operation marked the first operational use of the formidable GBU-57 MOP, a weapon believed necessary to penetrate deeply buried targets like Fordow.
Targeting Iran’s Key Nuclear Facilities
The strikes targeted sites central to Iran’s nuclear program, which Tehran insists is peaceful but which the US and Israel view with deep suspicion, particularly after Iran resumed uranium enrichment following the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal.
Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant: Located deep inside a mountain near Qom, Fordow is built to withstand aerial bombardment, reportedly buried 80-90 meters (260-300 feet) underground. Its clandestine existence was only revealed in 2009. Experts have long stated that only the most powerful bunker-busting munitions, like the US MOPs, could potentially neutralize its core facilities.
Natanz Nuclear Facility: Situated in Isfahan province, Natanz is Iran’s largest uranium enrichment complex. It had already sustained significant damage from previous Israeli strikes in the days prior, including the destruction of an above-ground pilot enrichment plant where uranium was enriched up to 60 percent, and severe damage to key electrical infrastructure.
- Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center: This facility plays a crucial role in Iran’s nuclear fuel cycle, preparing raw materials for enrichment and reactor use. Located south of Isfahan city, it too had been hit in earlier Israeli strikes, making this the third time it was targeted in just over a week.
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Satellite Imagery Reveals Visual Evidence of Impact
New satellite images released after the strikes offer crucial visual evidence of the damage.
Imagery captured by Maxar Technologies and Planet Labs PBC at Fordow shows several large holes or craters on the ridge directly above the deeply buried complex. Layers of dust or debris are visible across the area, and critically, several tunnel entrances leading to the underground facility appear blocked with dirt following the strikes. Pre-strike imagery had shown unusual truck and vehicular activity near these entrances in the days leading up to the attack, potentially supporting Iranian claims of pre-strike evacuations or movement of materials.
At Natanz, satellite pictures confirm a large hole or crater directly over its underground portion, reportedly measuring around 5.5 meters (18 feet) in diameter.
The Isfahan facility, targeted by Tomahawk missiles, shows extensive building damage across the site when compared to images taken before the strikes.
Conflicting Assessments of Damage and Impact
Despite President Trump’s claims of “total obliteration,” assessments of the strikes’ true effectiveness, particularly against the hardened Fordow site, vary significantly.
US officials initially stated that all three targeted sites sustained “extremely severe damage and destruction,” noting that a full battle damage assessment would take time.
However, Iranian officials offered a different narrative. An adviser to the Iranian parliament chairman, Mehdi Mohammadi, claimed the attack was anticipated, all sites had been evacuated in advance, and no irreversible damage was sustained. Another Iranian lawmaker stated that critical infrastructure at Fordow remained intact, with damage confined mostly to above-ground facilities and being “fully restorable,” dismissing US claims of destruction as “laughable.”
Experts acknowledge that the nature of Fordow’s construction makes assessing the strike’s success challenging, noting the full impact on the deeply buried core is “not immediately apparent.”
Context of Escalation and Regional Tensions
These massive US strikes represent a sharp escalation, marking Washington’s direct military intervention in a rapidly intensifying regional conflict. The US action follows over a week of intensive aerial combat between Israel and Iran, which had seen both sides launch strikes on nuclear and military sites, resulting in significant casualties on both sides, including the deaths of Iranian scientists.
Israel, which had vehemently opposed the original nuclear deal and vowed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, had already conducted multiple strikes on Iranian sites in the days prior to the US intervention. The US decision to join Israel’s campaign comes amid over 21 months of Israeli military actions in Gaza and heightened fears of a broader regional war.
Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, have consistently rejected claims that Tehran is on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, maintaining its program is for peaceful purposes.
Aftermath and Outlook
Following the strikes, both Iran’s nuclear agency and the IAEA reported that environmental radiation monitoring near the targeted sites showed no increase in radiation levels, indicating no immediate risk of contamination to surrounding areas.
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization vowed that its nuclear activities would continue despite the attacks, emphasizing the resilience of its program.
However, the strikes significantly raise the stakes. UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed grave alarm, labeling the strikes a “dangerous escalation” and a “direct threat to international peace and security.” While calling for de-escalation, President Trump issued a warning that any Iranian retaliation against the US would provoke new American attacks “GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT,” leaving the region on edge regarding the potential for further military confrontation.
