Besides GBU-57 Penetrator Bombs, Pentagon Launched 24 Tomahawk Missiles at Iranian Nuke Facility

The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed Tuesday that 24 Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched in parallel with a series of airstrikes using GBU-57 bunker buster bombs against Iranian nuclear sites as part of a coordinated military operation named Operation Midnight Hammer.

During a press briefing, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the overnight strikes targeted three locations — Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan — in a mission aimed at disrupting Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

“The order we received from our commander in chief was focused, it was powerful and it was clear. We devastated the Iranian nuclear program,” said Hegseth, emphasizing that the operation avoided civilian and troop casualties.

Gen. Caine described the damage to the three sites as “extremely severe,” adding that the B-2 Spirit stealth bombers dropped a total of 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs, weighing 30,000 pounds each. This marked the first operational use of the GBU-57.

According to Caine, the initial strike began at approximately 6:40 p.m. EDT, with seven B-2s departing under radio silence and minimal communication. Two MOPs were dropped on Fordo, followed by the deployment of the remaining bombs on other key facilities.

To protect the mission and maintain the element of surprise, the U.S. military used a range of deception tactics, including decoy aircraft and high-altitude maneuvers involving both fourth and fifth-generation fighter jets.

In parallel, a U.S. Navy submarine operating under U.S. Central Command (Centcom) launched more than two dozen Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles aimed at critical infrastructure within the Isfahan nuclear site. In total, approximately 75 precision-guided weapons were used.

“We are unaware of any shots fired at the package on the way out. Iran’s fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran’s surface-to-air missile systems did not see us,” Caine said.

Pentagon leaders praised the personnel who carried out the mission, highlighting the joint nature of the operation and the speed of its execution.

“This was a complex and high-risk mission, carried out with exceptional skill and discipline by our joint force,” Caine said. “In just a matter of weeks, this went from strategic planning to global execution.”

The Pentagon also acknowledged Israel’s support in the preparation phase of the operation.

Hegseth clarified that the operation was not intended as a regime-change effort but was focused on degrading Iran’s capacity to develop a nuclear weapon.

“This mission was not, and has not been, about regime change. The president authorized a precision operation to neutralize the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear program and [in support of] the collective self-defense of our troops and our ally, Israel,” he said.

Caine warned that any Iranian retaliation would be met with force. “Any retaliation by Iran or its proxies would be an incredibly poor choice,” he said. “We will defend ourselves. The safety of our service members and civilians remains our highest priority.”