The United States has launched an unprecedented coordinated military strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, formally entering the war alongside Israel and radically reshaping the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. Early on June 22, 2025, U.S. military forces executed a multi-pronged offensive against heavily fortified nuclear enrichment facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, deploying the most advanced weapons platforms and ordnance in the Pentagon’s arsenal.
The operation marked the first known combat deployment of the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP)—America’s most powerful non-nuclear bomb—and was delivered by six B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, each traveling from secret U.S. air bases under a veil of extreme operational security. Simultaneously, the USS Georgia (SSGN-729), an Ohio-class guided-missile submarine, launched thirty Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) from undisclosed locations likely in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman. The strikes represent not only a technological showcase of American strike capabilities but also a clear signal of strategic escalation and long-term commitment to military intervention against Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Each of the six B-2 Spirit stealth bombers carried two GBU-57A/B MOPs, targeting the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant located deep within Iran’s central mountain ranges. This site—buried beneath 80 to 100 meters of reinforced rock and concrete—has long been considered one of the most impregnable nuclear facilities in the world. A seventh B-2 targeted the Natanz complex, which has been at the heart of Iran’s uranium enrichment program for decades, with an additional two MOPs.
The GBU-57, weighing nearly 13,600 kilograms (30,000 pounds), is uniquely engineered for such deeply buried targets. Its steel casing and advanced fuzing allow it to penetrate through layers of hardened materials before detonating with immense force. Using a combination of GPS and inertial guidance, the bomb can achieve pinpoint accuracy within five meters of its target—a vital capability when striking underground infrastructure.
The B-2 Spirit, designed during the Cold War and still unmatched in its low-observable stealth design, remains the only aircraft capable of deploying the GBU-57. With a wingspan of over 52 meters and a radar cross-section the size of a small bird, the B-2 is virtually invisible to most radar systems. Supported mid-flight by aerial refueling from KC-135 and KC-46A Pegasus tankers, the bombers traveled thousands of kilometers to strike with surgical precision.
While the B-2s bombed from above, the U.S. Navy delivered its second blow from beneath the waves. The USS Georgia, an Ohio-class guided-missile submarine, launched thirty Tomahawk cruise missiles toward Iranian nuclear facilities at Natanz and Isfahan.
The Georgia is one of four ballistic missile submarines converted in the 2000s under the Strategic Capabilities Modernization initiative. Originally intended to carry Trident II nuclear missiles, these vessels now possess the ability to deploy up to 154 Tomahawks via vertical launch tubes. The Georgia also carries special operations forces and underwater vehicles, and features an extraordinarily low acoustic profile, allowing it to approach hostile shores undetected.
Each Tomahawk missile, weighing about 1,600 kilograms and equipped with a 450-kilogram high-explosive warhead, can fly over 1,500 kilometers at low altitude. With advanced navigation systems—GPS, inertial guidance, terrain contour mapping, and digital scene-matching—the missiles maneuver around terrain and evade defenses before hitting targets with remarkable precision. This strike is one of the largest salvos of Tomahawks since the Iraq War, showcasing the continued relevance of these platforms in modern warfare.
Beyond the bombs and missiles, the operation featured a suite of support assets designed to blind, confuse, and monitor Iranian defenses. EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft likely jammed Iranian radar and communications, reducing the effectiveness of any air defense response. At the same time, ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance) platforms—including RQ-4 Global Hawk drones and RC-135 Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft—provided real-time targeting updates and battle damage assessments.
This electronic battlefield management ensured that every phase of the strike was informed by the latest intelligence, and that every weapon system could operate within a degraded enemy defense environment. The combined arms operation—air, sea, electronic, and space—reflected the evolving nature of high-end warfare.
Speaking from the White House, former President Donald Trump, who resumed executive power earlier this year following a contentious election and constitutional challenge, declared the strike as “a necessary and final act to obliterate Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons.”
Trump claimed that the strike followed a two-week ultimatum issued to Tehran, demanding the immediate cessation of uranium enrichment activity and international inspection of all nuclear sites. When Iran reportedly failed to comply, the U.S. executed what the administration termed “Operation Iron Veil.”
“This operation,” Trump said, “marks the end of diplomacy through deceit. We will not tolerate the world’s leading sponsor of terrorism gaining the world’s deadliest weapons.”
According to the White House, intelligence assessments indicated Iran had begun enriching uranium to 90% purity—suitable for nuclear weapons—and that weaponization efforts were nearing completion. The goal of the strike was not merely to delay, but to destroy Iran’s capacity for nuclear development in an irreversible manner.
Early post-strike assessments, supported by satellite imagery and intelligence reports, suggest extensive surface damage at the Fordow and Natanz sites, with visible craters indicating successful penetrations by the MOPs. The Fordow facility, located beneath a mountain near Qom, was hit with a full salvo of twelve MOPs in a bid to crush its underground centrifuge halls.
At Natanz, both MOP and Tomahawk impacts were recorded. Preliminary imagery suggests the collapse of access tunnels and administrative buildings, with plumes of smoke and debris visible for hours after the strike. The Isfahan site, a known uranium conversion and storage facility, also took multiple Tomahawk hits, with high-resolution infrared imaging showing secondary explosions.
However, experts caution that while above-ground and tunnel infrastructure appears heavily damaged, the true extent of destruction—especially regarding underground centrifuges and enrichment cascades—may not be fully known for weeks. Iran has invested billions in redundant systems and hardened facilities; completely neutralizing them may prove elusive even with direct hits.
The strike has drawn immediate international attention and concern. The Iranian government condemned the attack as an “act of war” and vowed retaliation “with all means available.” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei convened the Supreme National Security Council within hours and reportedly ordered the mobilization of air defense units and Revolutionary Guard forces across the country.
Analysts warn that Iranian proxies—Hezbollah in Lebanon, militias in Iraq and Syria, and the Houthis in Yemen—may soon strike U.S. assets, Israeli territory, or commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. Cyber retaliation is also considered likely, with prior incidents showing Iran’s growing capability to attack U.S. infrastructure and financial institutions digitally.
In Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Yaakov Ben-Gvir praised the U.S. action as “historic” and confirmed that Israeli forces had conducted parallel strikes against missile sites and drone facilities in western Iran. “Together with the United States, we have reshaped the strategic equation,” he stated.
Meanwhile, European leaders expressed alarm at the escalation. The French Foreign Ministry issued a statement calling for “maximum restraint on all sides,” while Germany’s chancellor warned of “catastrophic consequences” if diplomacy is not resumed immediately.
Russia and China condemned the strike and called for an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council. Both nations have economic and military ties with Iran and have previously warned against direct U.S. intervention. Whether this crisis leads to deeper great-power involvement remains to be seen.
The June 22 strike on Iran marks not only the most technologically advanced precision bombing mission of the decade, but a flashpoint that may define the Middle East’s security architecture for years to come. With six B-2 stealth bombers dropping MOPs on ultra-hardened sites and thirty Tomahawk missiles fired from the depths of the sea, the United States has demonstrated its unmatched capacity to hit targets with devastating precision—even those buried under mountains.
Yet the aftermath remains perilous. Whether Iran’s nuclear program has been completely neutralized or merely delayed, the strike has redrawn red lines in a region already boiling with tension. As air defenses activate, militias prepare, and diplomats scramble, the world watches to see whether this bold display of military might will deter Iran—or ignite a wider war.
