This is a CBS News special report detailing a Pentagon briefing on "Operation Midnight Hammer," the massive US air strike conducted against three key Iranian nuclear facilities on President Trump's orders. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs provided details on the complex, highly classified mission, which they described as an "overwhelming success" that "obliterated" Iran's nuclear ambitions.
The operation involved seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers launched from the continental US in an 18-hour round trip, supported by decoy missions and extensive joint forces. The strike marked the first operational use of the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), with 14 MOPs dropped on the Foraux and Natanz sites. The mission achieved complete tactical surprise, with Iran’s air defenses failing to detect the strike package. Officials confirmed the strikes were not about regime change but neutralizing the nuclear threat, and warned Iran that any retaliation would be met with "far greater force." Post-briefing analysis focuses on the extreme degradation of Iran's air defenses and the heightened security alert for potential physical and cyber retaliation both regionally and domestically.
Operation Midnight Hammer: US Strike on Iranian Nuclear Sites
0:27 Mission Success and Political Framing: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared the operation an "incredible and overwhelming success" that "devastated the Iranian nuclear program." He credited President Trump's "bold and visionary leadership" for obliterating Iran's nuclear ambitions (2:11).
0:40 Targeted Strike: The operation specifically targeted three key Iranian nuclear sites, deliberately avoiding Iranian troops or the Iranian people.
1:21 American Deterrence: Hegseth stressed that the operation was "bold and it was brilliant," successfully showing the world that American deterrence is "back."
2:36 Retaliation Warning: Officials read a statement from President Trump, warning that "Any retaliation by Iran... will be met with force far greater than what was witnessed tonight."
3:55 Operation Preparation: The plan took "months and weeks of positioning and preparation," requiring high operational security and misdirection. B-2s flew in and out undetected.
5:44 Operation Midnight Hammer: General Kaine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, officially named the mission and confirmed it was executed by US Central Command (General Erik Kurrilla) against three Iranian nuclear facilities.
6:48 Strategic Deception: A large B-2 strike package launched from the continental US (CONUS). To maintain tactical surprise, part of the package flew west into the Pacific as a decoy (7:03).
7:15 Main Strike Force: The core package consisted of seven B-2 Spirit bombers on an 18-hour flight, requiring multiple in-flight refuelings.
8:01 Initial Attack Wave: Just prior to the B-2s entering Iran, a US submarine launched more than two dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles against key surface infrastructure targets at Esphahan. This ensured the element of surprise was retained for the main bomber strike.
9:32 MOP Deployment: At 6:40 PM EST (2:10 AM Iran time), the B-2s dropped 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) on two nuclear target areas: Foraux and Natanz. This marked the first ever operational use of the 30,000 lb MOP weapon (11:08).
10:40 Undetected Infiltration: Iranian defenses failed completely; Iran's fighters did not fly, and surface-to-air missile systems "did not see us."
11:21 Damage Assessment: Initial battle damage assessments indicate "extremely severe damage and destruction" at all three sites.
12:00 Scale of the Mission: Over 125 US aircraft participated (B-2s, fighters, tankers, ISR), making it the largest B-2 operational strike in US history and the second-longest B-2 mission ever flown.
14:30 Policy Goal: The mission was confirmed to be focused on neutralizing the nuclear threat and collective self-defense of US troops and Israel, explicitly not regime change.
15:59 Notifications: Congressional leaders and allies (in Iraq, Syria, Gulf) were notified only after the planes were safely out of Iranian airspace. They were given no advance warning.
17:24 Contingency Planning: Officials reiterated that the US is prepared to respond swiftly and decisively to any attack by Iran or its proxies, emphasizing that the mission scope was "intentionally limited" and not open-ended (24:05).
20:59 Israel Coordination: The strike was 100% US operated and US-led, though there was close consultation and acknowledgement of Israel’s ongoing defensive efforts.
27:54 Expert Analysis (Gen. McKenzie): Retired General McKenzie noted that Iran is likely the weakest it has been, with its air defenses "essentially gutted" and surveillance capability "very limited."
29:44 Iranian Reaction: Iran's Foreign Minister called the strike a "grave violation of international law" and suggested the Iranian regime feels compelled to retaliate, potentially targeting US bases in the Middle East, especially Iraq.
39:07 Homeland Security: US police jurisdictions are on heightened alert, increasing operational footprints near religious and diplomatic sites due to the threat of physical or cyber retaliation from Iranian-backed individuals.