Midnight (Mike) Hammer--Fordow, Natanz, Isfahan--After Action Report

 

After Action Report: U.S. Airstrikes on Iranian Nuclear Facilities (Operation Midnight Hammer)

Date of Operation: June 22, 2025
Reporting Agency: United States Air Force and Navy
Operation Codename: Operation Midnight Hammer

1. Organizational Data

• Lead Command: United States Air Force, supported by the U.S. Navy.

• Participating Units:

  • 509th Bomb Wing (B-2 Spirit bombers)

  • U.S. Navy submarine (Tomahawk missile launch platform)

  • Refueling, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft

  • Fourth and fifth generation fighter aircraft (for suppression and airspace control)25.

• Total Aircraft Involved: 125, including bombers, fighters, ISR, and refueling assets125.

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2. Aircraft and Ordnance

• Primary Strike Aircraft:

  • 7 x Northrop B-2 Spirit stealth bombers (509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman AFB, Missouri)25.

• Ordnance Used:

  • 14 x GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrators (30,000 lbs "bunker busters")

  • 30 x Tomahawk cruise missiles (fired from a U.S. Navy submarine, likely USS Georgia SSGN-729)25.

• Escort and Support:

  • Fourth and fifth generation fighters for suppression of air defenses

  • Multiple refueling aircraft for continuous flight (approx. 37 hours round trip)25.

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3. Flight Paths and Execution

• B-2 Bombers:

  • Departed Whiteman AFB, Missouri

  • Flew non-stop to targets in Iran with multiple mid-air refuelings

  • Preceded by fighter aircraft to suppress or preempt air defense (no significant resistance due to prior Israeli strikes)25.

  • Decoy B-2 mission flown westward over the Pacific for operational security25.

• Missile Launch:

  • Tomahawk missiles launched from a submarine in the region, targeting Natanz and Isfahan25.

• Timing:

  • Strikes on Natanz and Fordow occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time (23:00 UTC, June 21)25.

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4. Targets and Damage Assessment

• Primary Targets:

  • Fordow Uranium Enrichment Plant

  • Natanz Nuclear Facility

  • Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center1235

• Strike Details:

  • Fordow: 12 GBU-57A/B MOPs dropped by six B-2s

  • Natanz: 2 MOPs dropped by one B-2; additional Tomahawk strikes

  • Isfahan: Tomahawk missile strike25

• Damage Assessment:

  • Initial satellite imagery shows multiple bomb entry points and significant surface damage, especially at Fordow25.

  • U.S. officials report "severe damage and destruction" at all three sites; Fordow and Natanz suffered the heaviest impacts125.

  • Iranian sources claim no radioactive material was present at the sites and that evacuations had occurred prior to the strikes5.

  • Early U.S. and Israeli assessments suggest Fordow was severely damaged but not entirely destroyed25.

  • Full assessment ongoing; the long-term impact on Iran's nuclear enrichment capacity remains under review178.

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5. Operational Notes and Context

• Pre-Strike Environment:

  • Israeli airstrikes since June 13 had degraded Iranian air defenses, facilitating U.S. penetration with minimal resistance245.

  • Air defenses (S-300, Khordad 15, Tor M-1) were largely neutralized or ineffective during the operation4.

• Political and Strategic Impact:

  • Operation marks a major escalation in U.S. involvement in the Iran–Israel conflict3.

  • The efficacy of the strikes in halting Iran's nuclear program is not yet fully determined178.

  • Iranian officials claim preparedness and minimal irreversible damage; U.S. maintains the sites were "obliterated"125.

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6. Summary Table

Target Site	Ordnance Used	Result (Initial)
Fordow	12 x GBU-57A/B MOPs	Severe damage
Natanz	2 x GBU-57A/B MOPs, Tomahawks	Severe damage
Isfahan	Tomahawk missiles	Severe damage

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7. Conclusion

Operation Midnight Hammer demonstrated the U.S. capability to mount a complex, long-range precision strike against heavily fortified, deeply buried targets using advanced stealth and bunker-busting technology. While the initial damage to Iran's nuclear infrastructure is assessed as severe, the operation's success in permanently degrading Iran's nuclear weapons potential will depend on follow-up intelligence and Iran's capacity for rapid recovery and dispersal of assets1258.