U.S. Forces Strike Iran. B-2 “Spirit” bombers and 30 submarine launched Tomahawk missiles were used against three Iranian nuclear facilities in the early hours of Sunday, June 22, 2025 (local time). The Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant was attacked by six B-2 bombers with 12 x GBU-57 “Bunker Buster” bombs. The Natanz and Esfahan nuclear facilities were attacked by a B-2 bomber and two GBU-57 bombs. News reports indicate that the B-2s departed Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri and flew non-stop for 30 plus hours refueling several times.
U.S. Military Assets Repositioning. Naval vessels and aircraft have been moving from airbases and naval ports in the Middle East to other locations that are further from Iran to lessen the ability of Iran to strike these military assets. In addition, numerous military aircraft have departed the U.S. for Europe and other locations as a precautionary measure – for the defense of U.S. interests in the region and for offensive options. A large number of KC-135 refuelers are assisting fighters and bombers in moving forward into the Middle East and nearby areas.
U.S. and the “Bunker Buster”. Iran’s deep underground Fordow uranium-enrichment facility is buried under a mountain. The ‘Bunker Buster’ munition, called the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (GBU-57) (DOD Fact Sheet), is dropped by B-2 bombers. The bomb weighs 30,000 pounds that could travel through 200 feet of rock before exploding. The B-2, there are 19 currently in service, can carry 40,000 pounds. Most news reports say the B-2 can carry one; while other online sources report that in the attack against Iran each B-2 dropped two GBU-57s.
U.S. Forces at Risk. There are currently about 40,000 U.S. military personnel and DOD civilians in several Middle East countries. These countries include United Arab Emirates, Syria, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, and Jordan. Some countries would have less than 30 minutes to react to an Iranian missile attack. Should one occur, the U.S. will certainly respond quickly and with some devastating strikes; given the recent rapid and massive mobilization and movement of U.S. forces into the Middle East and the surrounding area. It is quite possible that a retaliatory attack by Iran may occur; however, there would be a huge cost to Iran inflicted by the United States.
Commando Raid into Syria (2024). In September 2024, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) conducted a deep-penetration commando raid into Syria to target an Iranian underground missile production facility. The facility was 400 feet underground and was capable of producing missiles that would reach Israel. Read how this raid was executed and how it could possibly be recreated again against some of Iran’s tough targets. Should the “Bunker Buster” attacks prove to be less successful than hoped, this could be an option for Israel. “The Israeli Raid on Syria That Exposed the Weakness of Hardened Targets”, Mosaic, May 28, 2025.
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Photo B-2. A B-2 Spirit bomber deployed from Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, flies near Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, during an interoperability training mission Jan. 15, 2019. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Russ Scalf)
Photo Tomahawk. USS Florida launches a Tomahawk cruise missile. Photo U.S. Navy, January 14, 2003.
Iran’s Nuclear Program. For those readers seeking more information on Iran’s nuclear weapons development the Congressional Research Service (CRS) has published two documents on the topic. “Iran and Nuclear Weapons Production”, CRS, June 20, 2025 (PDF, 3 pages) provides a short version and “Iran’s Nuclear Program: Status”, CRS, December 20, 2019 (PDF, 91 pages) is a much longer and detailed read.
Tomahawk Missile. More information on the Tomahawk cruise missile can be found at this Wikipedia webpage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomahawk_(missile_family)
B-2 Spirit. Read more on the B-2 stealth bomber (US Air Force Fact Sheet)
https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104482/b-2-spirit/
