509th Bomb Wing
The US Air Force on Monday released new photos and video footage of the B-2 Spirit stealth bombers from before and after their participation in Operation Midnight Hammer, the bombing mission that hit Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The 509th Bomb Wing that operates the B-2s shared several photos of the aircraft preparing for the operation, which began just after midnight on Saturday, and taking off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.
Seven B-2s flew from Whiteman to Iran, where they dropped 14 heavy bunker-buster bombs — the 30,000-pound GBU-57 — on Tehran’s nuclear facilities. Pentagon leadership characterized the mission as a highly secretive and complex operation involving deception tactics.
509th Bomb Wing
509th Bomb Wing
The GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal. It is designed to penetrate hardened, underground bunkers, and the B-2 is the only operational aircraft able to carry it. Saturday marked the first time that the MOP was used in combat.
The US military targeted Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters on Sunday that American forces fired about 75 precision-guided weapons during the operation, including the 14 MOPs and over two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from a US Navy submarine at an undisclosed location in the Middle East.
“We devastated the Iranian nuclear program,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said alongside Caine, who added that initial battle damage suggested that all three sites sustained damage and destruction. The full extent of the damage remains to be seen.
Caine said the operation involved over 125 aircraft, including the B-2 bombers, a mix of fourth- and fifth-generation fighter jets, and aerial refueling tankers.
The 509th on Monday also released new photos of the B-2s returning to Whiteman after the operation.
The B-2 is a stealth bomber with a unique flying-wing design built by the US aerospace company Northrop Grumman. It features a low-observable stealth design that allows it to fly through enemy airspace without being spotted by enemy radars supporting hostile surface-to-air-missile batteries.
509th Bomb Wing
509th Bomb Wing
Caine said that Iran’s surface-to-air missile systems did not appear to have spotted the US aircraft. “Throughout the mission, we maintained the element of surprise.”
Rafael Grossi, the United Nations nuclear watchdog chief, confirmed that Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan were hit, although the extent of the damage to the underground portions of the sites is unclear. However, satellite imagery revealed extensive destruction above ground at Isfahan, which was struck by the Tomahawks.
Iran responded to the attacks on Monday by firing a volley of ballistic missiles at the US military’s largest Middle East base, Al Udeid in Qatar. Doha said it intercepted all the threats and that there were no casualties.
President Donald Trump previously warned Iran that any retaliation would be met with additional use of force. The US military has a large force presence in the Middle East, with fighter jets, warships, and aircraft carriers that could be used for offensive or defensive purposes.
The unprecedented US bombing and Iran’s retaliation come as Israeli forces have spent the past week and a half battering Iran’s nuclear and military facilities.
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