US Launches Decoy B-2 Bombers in Missile Strike on Iran's Nuclear Facilities

Strategic Insights -

The United States embarked on a complex operation to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, utilizing decoy B-2 bombers to mislead the Iranian military while a separate group of stealth fighters flew undetected towards the targets. The primary aim was to destroy the underground enrichment facility at Fordow, with the 30,000lb GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs being used for the first time in a US operation.

Key Takeaways:

  • The operation, codenamed "Midnight Hammer," involved a total of 125 aircraft, including 14 B-2 bombers and 11 fighter jets, which flew over the Atlantic and Mediterranean before entering Iranian airspace undetected.
  • The B-2s were carrying two 30,000lb GBU-57 MOP bombs each, which were used to destroy the Fordow facility, while Tomahawk cruise missiles fired by a US submarine targeted other sites.
  • The US military claimed that the operation was successful, with all targets being "totally and completely obliterated," although Iranian officials downplayed the impact and vowed to have "everlasting consequences."
  • Iran responded to the attack with a barrage of missiles fired at Israel, flattening a city block in Tel Aviv, and later passed a bill calling for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil flows daily.
  • Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that the US must "receive a response" to its attacks, leaving the door open for potential retaliation.

Statistics:

  • 8 B-2 bombers took off from Whiteman air force base in Missouri and flew westwards towards the Pacific, with 7 more taking off from the same base and heading eastwards across the Atlantic.
  • The total number of aircraft engaged in the operation was 125.
  • 2-4 B-2s were carrying 14 GBU-57 MOP bombs each.
  • The Tomahawk missiles fired by the US submarine targeted multiple sites in Iran.
  • Iran fired over a dozen missiles at Israel in response to the US attack.
  • Oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz total over 20% of the world's daily production.

Sources:

  • The New York Times, (no date specified)
  • The Guardian, 3rd June (no year specified) 00:00
  • The New York Times, 4th June 2023
  • Reuters, 4th June 2023 07:49