Earlier this week, the joint force struck Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant with 30,000-pound GBU-57 bombs, which resulted in the destruction of Iran's nuclear capabilities.
"At President [Donald J.] Trump's direction, the United States military successfully conducted Operation Midnight Hammer and completely obliterated Iran's nuclear capability, resulting in a ceasefire of the '12-day war,'" said Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell during the Weekly Sitrep video.
As part of the operation, U.S. B-2 Spirit bombers out of Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, dropped 14 GBU-57 bombs onto Fordow — about 60 miles south of Tehran — and a second nuclear facility, destroying both and setting back Iranian nuclear efforts by years.
"Our brave B-2 pilots flew nearly 40 hours through the night, under radar, dropping 14 30,000-pound 'massive ordnance penetrators' or MOBs, on Iran's secure nuclear enrichment sites. That is 420,000 pounds of bombs," Parnell said. "It's clear to everyone that Operation Midnight Hammer was a massive success. We are incredibly proud of the execution of this mission. So, well done to this nation's warfighters."
Following the execution of the operation and its follow-on effects, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the mission is worth remembering.
"This was a historically successful attack, and we should celebrate it as Americans," the secretary said. "It gives us a chance to have peace, a chance to have a deal, an opportunity to prevent a nuclear Iran — which is something President Trump talked about for 20 years."
On June 24, 2025, Trump, Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to The Hague, Netherlands, to attend the final day of the NATO Summit.
"While there, in a very historic milestone, our NATO allies committed to dramatically increasing their defense spending to 5% of their respective [gross domestic products," Parnell said. "American taxpayers will no longer have to foot the bill to protect Europe — and that's a great thing. This investment strengthens our relationships and alliances with our neighbors overseas."
The president asked allies to increase their contributions to NATO during his first term. Since the start of his second term, both the president and defense secretary have touted the 5% goal. While in Brussels in February, Hegseth laid out a future vision for NATO.
"To endure for the future, our partners must do far more for Europe's defense," he said. "We must make NATO great again. It begins with defense spending but must also include reviving the transatlantic defense industrial base, rapidly fielding emerging technologies, prioritizing readiness and lethality, and establishing real deterrence."
Also this week, the Navy rebranded a fleet replenishment oiler after a Navy Medal of Honor recipient.
"The USNS Harvey Milk has officially been renamed the USNS Oscar V. Peterson," Parnell said. "The ship is named after Chief Petty Officer Oscar V. Peterson, who was badly burned trying to save his ship during the Battle of [the] Coral Sea in 1942. Peterson died of his injuries and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. We are so grateful for his heroic service."