In a post Sunday on his Truth Social account, Trump said the operation “completely and totally destroyed” Iran’s nuclear-related targets and that recovering buried nuclear material “will require a long and difficult process.” He also criticized CNN and other outlets, saying they were diminishing the achievements of U.S. pilots.
“Midnight Hammer” was the name of a U.S. operation last June that struck three Iranian nuclear sites. The U.S. military deployed more than 125 aircraft, including seven B-2 stealth bombers, and dropped 14 massive bunker-buster bombs targeting Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan.
The U.S. military said it combined deception flights and indirect approaches to hit the targets. Iran’s military was reported to have been largely unable to respond to the U.S. aircraft.
Assessments of the damage have differed. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth used language suggesting near-total destruction, while Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine said all three sites suffered “extremely severe damage and destruction” but stopped short of saying Iran’s nuclear capability had been eliminated.
Trump’s post came as it remains unclear whether follow-up talks between the United States and Iran will materialize. Trump has argued that any new nuclear deal with Iran would be better than the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, but it is still uncertain how negotiations might be concluded in the near term.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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