Operation Midnight Hammer

Late on June 22, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed that seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers struck three Iranian nuclear facilities – Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan – as part of Operation Midnight Hammer . Hegseth stated that the facilities were “obliterated,” but admitted that a full damage assessment would take several days.

• Eastbound strike – The B-2 bombers (BATT11/21 flights) of the 509th Bomb Wing took off from Whiteman AFB, Missouri, at around 23:30 CDT on June 21. After an aerial refueling over the Atlantic, they proceeded into the Mediterranean through Gibraltar, remaining in international airspace throughout the mission.
• Diversion to the west – Another group of B-2s (flights designated “MYTEE 11/21”) took off several hours later heading toward the Pacific. They were refueled by KC-135R tankers (one of which is shown tracked below) that departed from Honolulu and were tracked southeast of Hawaii. It was later revealed that this maneuver was a deliberate decoy, designed to confuse analysts and observers.

The operation was made possible by the massive deployment of U.S. aerial refueling aircraft, which Itamilradar documented between June 15 and 17. Tankers were deployed to several European bases, including Lajes, Morón, and Souda Bay—and the aircraft stationed at these locations took active part in the mission.

Notably, several tankers operated out of Souda Bay. Three of them (KC-135R registrations: 63-7985, 58-0069, and 60-0349) conducted a mission over the central Mediterranean (with their ADS-B transponders turned off) and returned to Souda around 05:00 CEST. This timeframe matches the estimated eastbound and return passage of the B-2s.

According to Pentagon sources cited by Reuters, the bombers used GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOP)—30,000-pound bombs designed to penetrate up to 60 meters of reinforced concrete. Each B-2 can carry two. It is believed that six of these bombs were dropped on the underground Fordow site, while Tomahawk Block V cruise missiles launched from U.S. submarine (probably the USS Georgia) targeted the sites at Natanz and Esfahan.