U.S. B-2 Bombers Fly 37 Hours to Strike Iranian Nuclear Sites

U.S. B-2 Spirit stealth bombers flew nearly 37 hours nonstop from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to carry out a high-precision strike on three key Iranian nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.A U.S. defense official confirmed, under anonymity, that the aircraft were refueled multiple times mid-air using KC-135 and KC-46 tankers. The mission marks one of the longest combat sorties in modern U.S. military history.Deployment of Massive OrdnanceThis operation marked the first combat use of the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP)—a 30,000-pound bunker-buster bomb designed to penetrate fortified underground facilities.Six B-2 bombers dropped 12 GBU-57 bombs on the heavily fortified Fordow uranium enrichment site, located deep inside a mountain near Qom.Simultaneously, U.S. Navy submarines in the Persian Gulf launched 30 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) targeting Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities.An additional B-2 strike dropped two GBU-57s on Natanz, another major enrichment center.White House ReactionIn a televised address, President Donald Trump declared the mission a “decisive blow” to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, asserting that the objective was to “completely dismantle Iran’s enrichment capability” and send a clear message that nuclear proliferation will not be tolerated.Trump warned that unless Iran returns to diplomatic negotiations, the United States is prepared to continue military action.Iran’s ResponseIran’s Atomic Energy Organization confirmed that strikes took place but claimed the targeted facilities were already evacuated, and that no radioactive leakage had occurred. Iranian state media reported no civilian casualties, though independent verification is limited due to restricted access.Iranian military sources called the attack a “violation of sovereignty” and vowed a “strategic response at a time and place of its choosing.”Regional and Global ReactionsIsrael, which has long accused Iran of covertly developing nuclear weapons, praised the strike and said it was conducted in coordination with its intelligence services.Russia and China condemned the attack, calling it a “destabilizing act” in the Middle East.The United Nations Security Council has scheduled an emergency session to discuss the escalating situation.BackgroundThe strike follows weeks of heightened tension in the Middle East, including Israel’s previous air raids on Iranian proxy positions in Syria and Iraq, and alleged Iranian attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and the Gulf.The U.S. intelligence community has assessed that Iran was accelerating uranium enrichment at these sites, with Fordow and Natanz capable of reaching weapons-grade levels within months if left unchecked.