Pete Hegseth Details Operation Midnight Hammer, 'Obliterated' Iran’s Nuclear Program

Pete Hegseth said the United States has dealt a crippling blow to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, just hours after a massive military operation targeted three of the country’s key enrichment facilities.

The Defense Secretary spoke to the nation Sunday morning, saying Iran’s nuclear ambitions had been "obliterated" by the precision airstrikes, which he credited to President Donald Trump’s decisive leadership.

"The president authorized a precision operation to neutralize the threats to our national interest posed by the Iranian nuclear program and the collective self-defense of our troops and our ally Israel," he said.

The air assault struck enrichment sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, with U.S. officials describing the damage as extensive.

B-2 bombers, stealth aircraft, and cruise missiles were used in the coordinated attack, part of what the Pentagon dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer.

It was announced the airstrike took Iran by surprise, with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine saying, "We are currently unaware of any shots fired at the U.S. strike package on the way in … We are unaware of any shots fired at the package on the way out."

Caine confirmed the seriousness of the strike’s impact but stopped short of calling it a total destruction. "Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction," he said.

President Trump addressed the nation Saturday night, calling the operation a success and hailing what he described as the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities.