On the evening of Saturday, June 21, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that the United States had launched coordinated airstrikes on three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities, signaling a major escalation in longstanding tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Posting to his Truth Social account, Trump revealed that the airstrikes were aimed at the nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan installations known to be central to Iran’s uranium enrichment efforts and broader nuclear program.
“We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!” Trump wrote.
According to U.S. defense officials, the operation was executed using B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, which deployed GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs. These 30,000-pound munitions are specifically engineered to destroy heavily reinforced underground targets, such as those believed to be present at Iran’s nuclear sites. The B-2, one of the most sophisticated aircraft in the U.S. military’s fleet, is the only platform capable of delivering such weapons.
The primary focus of the assault was the Fordow facility, a deeply embedded installation constructed inside a mountain. Due to its advanced enrichment capabilities and potential military applications, Fordow has long been viewed by Western powers as a critical threat.
The mission heavily relied on the capabilities of the B-2 Spirit, a stealth bomber designed for high-impact missions in highly defended airspace.
“The B-2 brings massive firepower to bear, in a short time, anywhere on the globe through previously impenetrable defenses,” according to the Air Force.
With a maximum payload of 40,000 pounds, and capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear armaments, the B-2 operates with a two-person crew and can conduct global missions thanks to in-flight refueling.
This development follows a period of escalating hostilities in the region, particularly in the wake of a series of military exchanges between Iran and Israel.