Midnight Hammer operation: the chronology of American strikes on Iranian nuclear installations

The Pentagon shared details on Sunday on Operation Midnight Hammer, the massive and complicated mission which struck three main Iranian nuclear installations on Saturday, calling the “greatest B-2 operational strike in American history”.

Defense secretary Pete Hegseth told Pentagon journalists that “the scope of this was intentionally limited” in his first official remarks after strikes, although he added that the abilities of the American army “are almost unlimited”.

General Dan Caine, president of the joint staff chiefs, detailed the calendar of the operation and the deception tactics employed who have entered the Ford, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear installations.

The “cunning” flight – the flight of lure starts at 00h01 hne, Saturday

The Pentagon shared this graph showing the chronology of the US military operation Midnight Hammer. (Pentagon)

The operation began when B-2 Stealth Bombers was launched from the Whiteman Air Force base in Missouri at 12:01 p.m. on Saturday morning.

Some of the bombers stole west and in the Pacific as a lure. Caine described it as a “deception effort known only as an extremely small number of planners and key leaders”.

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Main strike – an 18 -hour flight

The main striking force of seven spiritual bomber B-2, each with two crew members, stole silently east with a minimum of communications when he undertook the flight from 6 p.m. to the target zone, said Caine.

The group’s plane was supplied several times during its flight. When Overland, the strike group linked to the escort and support the planes of Central Command.

In this image provided by the US Air Force, a B-2 Spirit returns to Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., on May 9, 2025. Seven B-2 planes were used in operation of Midnight Hammer, said Caine on Sunday. (Airman Senior Devan Halstead / US Air Force via AP)

Caine described the bond as “a complex and timed maneuver requiring exact synchronization on several platforms in a narrow airspace, everything done with minimum communications.”

Tracking of the track – 5 p.m. HNE, Saturday

Around 5 p.m. HE (12:30 p.m. in Iran), an American submarine launched more than two dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles against key surface infrastructure targets while the main strike force entered Iranian air space.

Other disappointment tactics have been used, said Caine, and supported planes in front of the main strike group at an altitude and high speed to sweep away enemy fighters and threats of air surface missiles.

This graph shows assets of the American navy in the Middle East. (Fox News)

While the main striking group B-2 approached Fordow and Natanz, the support planes used high-speed suppression weapons to ensure its safe passage.

“We are not currently aware of all times shown on the United States strike package on the way,” Caine told journalists.

The Strikes – 6.40 p.m. HNE, Saturday

Fordow nuclear installation was struck around 6:40 p.m., around 2:10 a.m. in Iran.

The United States has launched three key nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday evening. (Fox News)

Lead B-2 has dropped two GBU 57 Massive Ordance Penetrator (MOP) weapons, commonly known as Bunker-Busters, on the first of several points in Fordow.

The remaining bombers also reached their targets, with a total of 14 mops were fell on Fordow and Natanz, said Caine.

This satellite photo of Planet Labs PBC shows the Iran’s underground nuclear enrichment site in Fordo after an American air strike targeted the installation on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Tomahawk missiles launched by American submarines were the last to strike, reaching their targets in Isfahan.

The return trip – from Saturday to Sunday

After freeing their weapons in the massive strike, the plane left Iranian airspace to return home to Whiteman Air Force Base. Caine said that the US military was not immediately aware of the shots shown in the strike group leaving Iranian airspace.

“Iran fighters have not stolen, and it seems that Iran’s air surface missile systems have not seen us throughout the mission,” said Caine. “We have kept the surprise element.”

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Operation Midnight Hammer used more than 125 planes in the mission, including seven B-2 Bombardiers, several fourth and fifth generation fighters, dozens of supplies, a guided missile submarine and a “complete table” intelligence, surveillance and recognition aircraft, said Caine.

The president of the joint chiefs, General Dan Caine, shared Operation Midnight Timeline at a press conference at the Pentagon in Washington, on Sunday June 22, 2025, after the American army struck three sites in Iran. (AP photo / Alex Brandon)

The American forces launched approximately 75 munitions guided by precision, including 14 GBU 57 massive penetrates, who weigh 30,000 pounds each. The operation marked the very first operational use of this weapon, said Caine.

A history operation

Caine described the operation as “the greater B-2 operational strike in the history of the United States” and “that no other soldier in the world could have done”.

“This mission demonstrates the unequaled scope, coordination and capacity of the American army in a few weeks,” said Caine. “This went from strategic planning to global execution.”

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Caine also said that it was the second longest B-2 mission never stolen, exceeded only by missions piloted in the days following September 11.