Washington, D.C. – The US Defense Minister, Pete Hegseth, has denied that the recent airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities were aimed at replacing the Mullah regime in Iran. “This mission was not about regime change” Hegseth said on Sunday in Washington.
The operation, authorized by the President, was a “precision strike” aimed at neutralizing the threat to the national interests of the United States posed by Iran’s nuclear program. Hegseth also reaffirmed the assessment of US President Donald Trump, who described the operation as an “unbelievable and overwhelming success” stating, “We have destroyed the Iranian nuclear program.”
Many presidents, Hegseth added, had dreamed of delivering the “final blow” to Iran’s nuclear program, but “none could, until President Trump came.” The minister also referred to Trump’s announcement that any Iranian retaliation against the United States would be met with “much greater power” saying, “Iran would be well-advised to take these words seriously.”
The US does not seek war, Hegseth emphasized, but will act swiftly and decisively if its people, partners, or interests are threatened. “Let me be clear: we will act quickly and resolutely if our people, our partners, or our interests are threatened” he said.
Iran should heed Trump’s words and understand that he means every word seriously, Hegseth added.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, provided further details on the operation. The US military operation, code-named “Operation Midnight Hammer” involved more than 125 aircraft and a deception operation, in which bombers over the Pacific were used as “bait.” Only a small number of “planners and key leadership” were informed of the plans.
Seven B-2 bombers, according to Caine, were involved in the 18-hour flight to the target area, dropping over a dozen Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs on two Iranian nuclear facilities, Fordo and Natanz. As the bombers entered the Iranian airspace at 5 pm local time, a US submarine also launched over two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at “important targets” in the Isfahan nuclear facility, Caine added.