U.S. B-2 bombers' June 2025 Iran strike demonstrated deep-strike method against hardened targets
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
Seven U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit bombers struck Iran's Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites in June 2025 with 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs, marking the weapon's first operational use. The operation demonstrated that the United States can combine stealth, intercontinental range, aerial refueling and air-defense suppression to place its heaviest conventional penetrator against deeply buried targets.
Key Facts
- More than 125 aircraft took part in Operation Midnight Hammer, while a U.S. submarine launched Tomahawk cruise missiles in parallel.
- The mission extended beyond 13,000 miles round trip and kept aircrews airborne for roughly 36 hours.
- Six B-2s delivered 12 GBU-57 bombs against Fordow, while a seventh released two against Natanz.
- On June 1, 2026, the 509th Bomb Wing confirmed that its personnel had only a few weeks to prepare Midnight Hammer and that seven B-2s carrying GBU-57s were committed against Iranian nuclear sites.
- The same B-2 type was used in 2025 for Operation Rough Rider in Yemen, the largest B-2 deployment in the bomber's history.
The Strike
Seven U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit bombers flew east from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, during an 18-hour approach conducted with minimal communications and multiple aerial refuelings. Other B-2s flew west as part of a deception operation while U.S. fighter and support aircraft moved ahead of the bombers to search for Iranian fighters and surface-to-air missile threats. Six B-2s delivered 12 GBU-57 bombs against Fordow, while a seventh released two against Natanz. The 30,000-pound weapon was specifically developed to penetrate and destroy deeply buried, hardened facilities that conventional bombs cannot reliably reach.
Force Package
More than 125 aircraft took part in Operation Midnight Hammer, while a U.S. submarine launched Tomahawk cruise missiles in parallel. The main formation flew east under restricted communications, while another group was sent toward the Pacific as part of a deception effort. Several aerial refueling cycles supported the transit before fighters and specialized support assets joined the operation. The overall architecture was intended to disrupt several layers of the opposing air defense system before the bombers reached their targets.
Disclosures and Yemen
On June 1, 2026, the 509th Bomb Wing released additional details on the operational cycle from Whiteman Air Force Base. The unit confirmed that its personnel had only a few weeks to prepare Midnight Hammer and that seven B-2s carrying GBU-57s were committed against Iranian nuclear sites. It also highlighted the aircraft’s participation in Operation Rough Rider in Yemen, described as the largest B-2 deployment in the bomber’s history. The same aircraft type was therefore used in 2025 both for a concentrated strike against hardened strategic infrastructure and for sustained conventional strike operations against the Houthis.
1 source
U.S. B-2 bombers' June 2025 Iran strike demonstrated deep-strike method against hardened targets
