B-2 bombers flew west as decoys while real strike force went ‘completely undetected’ in devastating attack
Top US military officials have revealed the historic strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities utilized a massive deception effort, with decoy B-2 bomber flights sent west over the Pacific while the actual strike force proceeded to Iran “completely undetected.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine detailed the elaborate operation in a rare Sunday morning Pentagon briefing, describing how “Operation Midnight Hammer” employed sophisticated misdirection to achieve total tactical surprise.
“Our B-2s went in and out and back without the world knowing at all,” Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon. “In that way it was historic.”
The Decoy Gambit
In one of the most audacious deceptions in modern military history, the US military launched what appeared to be routine B-2 bomber movements toward the Pacific – a deliberate feint designed to mask the true mission.
A large B-2 strike package comprised of bombers launched from the continental United States. Part of the package proceeded to the west and into the Pacific as a decoy, a deception effort known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders here in Washington,” Hegseth revealed.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs confirmed that no Iranian planes were deployed to intercept the bombers, and the aircraft used in the strike received no enemy fire – testament to the complete success of the deception.
‘Obliterated’ Nuclear Ambitions
The operation, which Hegseth called “an incredible and overwhelming success,” targeted three key Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan with devastating effect.
“Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been obliterated,” the Defense Secretary declared, noting the operation deliberately avoided targeting Iranian troops or civilians.
General Dan Caine provided a detailed timeline of the meticulously planned assault, revealing it was “the largest B-2 strike in U.S. history,” involving more than 125 aircraft and 75 precision-guided weapons.
The Strike Details
The mission unfolded with military precision:
- Midnight ET Friday: Seven B-2 Spirit bombers launched from Whiteman Air Force Base near Kansas City, Missouri, beginning an 18-hour round-trip flight
- 5 p.m. ET Saturday: A US submarine launched more than two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles against the Isfahan nuclear site
- 6:40 p.m. ET: B-2 bombers entered Iranian airspace and began dropping their payload
- 7 p.m. ET: All US aircraft had exited Iranian airspace
The bombers dropped more than a dozen 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs – marking the first operational use of these “bunker busters” designed specifically to destroy hardened underground facilities.
‘Bold and Brilliant’
The operation President Trump planned was bold, and it was brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back,” Hegseth said. “When this president speaks, the world should listen.”
The Defense Secretary emphasized that this represented the longest B-2 bomber mission since 2001 and the first combat employment of the MOP weapons system.
President Donald Trump had announced the strikes Saturday evening in a White House address flanked by Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Hegseth, calling them a “spectacular military success.
Iran’s Furious Response
Hours after the strikes, Iranian forces began launching missiles at Israel in retaliation, with Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi calling the US offensive “extremely dangerous, lawless and criminal behavior.
Humanity has come too far as a species to allow a lawless bully to take us back to the law of the jungle,” Araghchi said in a statement that reflected Tehran’s fury at the surprise attack.
Secret Planning
General Caine revealed the extraordinary secrecy surrounding the operation: “This was a highly classified mission with very few people in Washington knowing the timing or nature of this plan.
The mission had been prepared “for weeks with high precision and secrecy,” according to Pentagon officials, with the decoy flights playing a crucial role in maintaining operational security.
As the B-2s approached their targets, the US deployed “several deception tactics, including decoys,” while fighter jets cleared the airspace ahead, checking for enemy aircraft and surface-to-air missiles.
Political Fallout
The strikes have sparked immediate political controversy, with Republican congressional leaders praising Trump’s decisive action while Democrats accused him of violating the Constitution by not seeking congressional authorization.
A US official speaking on condition of anonymity told reporters that senior Democratic leadership was notified of the strike only moments before Trump’s social media announcement – a revelation likely to fuel further criticism.
Historic Achievement
Military analysts are calling Operation Midnight Hammer one of the most sophisticated deception operations in modern warfare, combining cutting-edge stealth technology with classic misdirection tactics.
The complete tactical surprise achieved – with no Iranian interceptors launched and no damage to US aircraft – demonstrates the effectiveness of the elaborate ruse that saw some of America’s most advanced bombers flying in opposite directions to confuse adversaries.
As one Pentagon official put it: “We showed the world that when America decides to act, we can still achieve complete surprise – even in the age of satellites and social media.”
For Iran, whose nuclear program has been years in the making and buried deep underground for protection, the message was clear: nowhere is beyond America’s reach when national security is at stake.
