US Air Force Launches Joint Operation with Navy against Iran, Raising Global Concerns

Strategic Insights -

Tensions in the Middle East escalated on June 22, 2025, as the US Air Force and Navy launched a joint operation, codenamed "Operation Midnight Hammer," against three nuclear facilities in Iran. The attack involved 25 American aircraft and 75 precision-guided weapons, including 14 GBU-57/A/B MOP, 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs. The operation targeted the Fordow Uranium enrichment plant, the Nantanz Nuclear Facility, and the Isfahan Nuclear Technology center. The strikes were aimed at crippling Iran's nuclear program, but a preliminary US intelligence report suggested the damage might be more limited than initially thought.

Key Takeaways:

  • The joint operation involved 25 American aircraft and 75 precision-guided weapons, including 14 GBU-57/A/B MOP, 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.
  • The attack targeted the Fordow Uranium enrichment plant, the Nantanz Nuclear Facility, and the Isfahan Nuclear Technology center.
  • The US president, Donald Trump, claimed the strikes had "completely and totally obliterated" Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities.
  • A preliminary US intelligence report suggested the damage might be more limited than initially thought.
  • Congressional Republicans largely supported Trump's action, while most Democrats and some Republicans expressed concern about the constitutionality of the move and its effects.
  • World leaders reacted with mixed responses, with some welcoming the move to incapacitate Iran's nuclear program, while others expressed concern over escalation or condemned the strikes.
  • Iran responded by attacking a US base in Qatar, with the US announcing a ceasefire between Iran, Israel, and the US on June 24, 2025.
  • The Israeli air force had previously destroyed the above-ground structures at the Nantanz site, with the US bombing targeting the buried centrifuge machines.
  • Satellite images showed immense damage to the facilities.

Statistics:

  • 25 American aircraft participated in the joint operation.
  • 75 precision-guided weapons were used during the operation, including 14 GBU-57/A/B MOP, 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs.
  • The attack targeted three nuclear facilities: Fordow Uranium enrichment plant, Nantanz Nuclear Facility, and Isfahan Nuclear Technology center.
  • The US claimed to have obliterated Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities.
  • A June 2025 poll found 53% of Trump voters believed the US should not get involved in the Iran-Israel conflict.
  • A separate June 2025 poll by The Washington Post found 45% of respondents opposed the US military launching airstrikes against Iran.

Sources:

  • [1] The text does not provide a specific source, but the events described are based on publicly available information and news reports.