Gen. Dan Caine, the top US general, said Sunday morning that B-2 stealth bombers struck Iranian nuclear sites with over a dozen powerful bunker-busters in a "high-risk, complex" mission called Operation Midnight Hammer.
At the same presser, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth called the mission an "incredible and overwhelming success." He said that "the order we received from our commander in chief was focused. It was powerful. And it was clear we devastated the Iranian nuclear program."
President Donald Trump said in an address to the nation on Saturday evening that the US military had successfully carried out "massive precision strikes" that "completely and totally obliterated" Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities.
The direct attack on Iran marks a major escalation and takes US involvement in the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel to a new level. Trump had been weighing whether to strike Iran for days prior to this attack.
"We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," Trump said in a Truth Social post earlier Saturday announcing the strikes. "All planes are now outside of Iran air space," he said.
The strikes notably risk Iranian retaliatory attacks that could harm US forces in the region. Tehran has already threatened such a response.
The president said a "full payload" of bombs was dropped on Fordow, one of Iran's main nuclear enrichment facilities. Trump described it as "the primary site." Fordow is heavily fortified, with its key facilities deep underground in a mountain.
In his address to the nation, Trump called the strikes a "spectacular military success."
Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at a presser on Sunday that US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers dropped a total of 14 heavy bunker-buster bombs — specifically, the GBU-57 — on the Iranian nuclear sites.
Bunker-buster bombs are designed to penetrate and destroy hardened facilities and underground bunkers. The 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, is a bunker-buster that's carried by the B-2 bomber. The weapon is the US military's largest non-nuclear bomb and is considered best suited for striking Iran's deepest nuclear sites.
In addition to bunker-busters, Caine said that Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from US submarines were also used against one of the Iranian sites.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement posted on X, thanked Trump for the "bold decision" to strike Iran, saying "the awesome and righteous might of the United States will change history."
"His leadership today has created a pivot of history that can help lead the Middle East and beyond to a future of prosperity and peace," Netanyahu said.
Earlier on Saturday, multiple online open-source intelligence accounts were tracking the movement of several B-2s from their base in the US across the Pacific, with speculation that the bombers were fully loaded and potentially heading for Iran. Caine indicated these aircraft were part of a deception tactic.
"All planes are safely on their way home," Trump said in his Saturday social media post on the strikes. "Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this."
He added that "NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE! Thank you for your attention to this matter." Trump signaled in his address that additional attacks against Iran could follow if "peace does not come quickly."
The bombing runs come after several days of speculation about whether the US would join Israel in striking Iran.
Earlier this month, Israeli officials announced the start of a new operation aimed at degrading Iran's nuclear program, which has long been a goal of Netanyahu's. The Trump administration had favored a diplomatic approach, trying to reach a new nuclear deal with Tehran.
Over the past week, Israeli fighter jets have carried out far-reaching airstrikes across Iran, targeting its nuclear program, top scientists, senior commanders, air defenses, missile launchers, bases, and other high-profile military infrastructure.
