“Midnight Hammer”: Airstrikes on Iran and the Cycle America Refuses to Break

The bombs have fallen. In late June 2025, the United States launched a sweeping aerial assault on three of Iran’s most fortified nuclear facilities — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — using B-2 stealth bombers, submarine-launched cruise missiles, and 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs. The Pentagon called the strikes a “spectacular military success.” President Trump said the sites were “obliterated.” And yet, here we are — once again watching a dangerous and familiar script unfold.

If the United States was looking to prevent a nuclear crisis or stabilize the Middle East, its chosen method has a curious track record of doing the opposite.

What Was Hit — and How

Dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, the U.S. airstrike was one of the most complex missions of its kind in decades. According to BBC and CNN reporting, seven B-2 Spirit bombers flew from the U.S., accompanied by decoy aircraft and fighter escorts, while over two dozen Tomahawk missiles were launched from a submarine at the Isfahan facility.

The real firepower came in the form of 14 GBU-57 “Massive Ordnance Penetrators,” or “bunker busters.” These bombs are designed to smash through reinforced bunkers buried deep in mountainsides, like Fordow — a site dug so deep that only the U.S. possesses munitions capable of reaching it.

A U.S. military official described the mission as a “full payload” assault. The Fordow site alone, according to CNN, received twelve bunker busters. Satellite imagery showed multiple craters and collapsed tunnel entrances.

Israel’s Parallel War

At the same time, Israeli fighter jets executed their own set of coordinated attacks across Iran — hitting over 200 targets in Tehran and western Iran, including missile storage sites, drone launch facilities, and military leadership compounds.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the U.S. intervention, calling it a “historic” step that neutralized an existential threat. Meanwhile, the IDF claimed its jets destroyed long-range Khorramshahr missiles before they could be fired at Israel — including a deep strike on Yazd, over 2,000 km from Israel’s borders.

According to the Times of Israel, Israeli sorties have killed at least a dozen IRGC members and destroyed dozens of high-value targets. This is no longer a proxy conflict. It is a direct, coordinated military campaign between two nuclear powers and the Islamic Republic.

Airstrike Fallout: Retaliation and Civilian Toll

Hours after the strikes, Iran launched another barrage of ballistic missiles toward Israel. At least 86 people were injured, and over 500 missiles have reportedly been fired since June 13. Iran’s President Pezeshkian declared the U.S. must “receive a response,” and state media has vowed revenge for what it calls “barbaric, criminal” acts.

Civilians are already caught in the middle. Tehran’s governor reported more than 200 strikes across the capital alone, with 120 residential buildings completely destroyed. The potential for civilian casualties on both sides is rapidly rising.

Global Response: A Divided World

The international response is split between cautious support and outright condemnation:

• UN Secretary-General Guterres warned of “catastrophic consequences” and called for immediate de-escalation.

• China accused the U.S. of repeating the same strategic mistakes as in Iraq, warning that interventions lead to regional destabilization.

• Pakistan, Hamas, and Iran labeled the attack a violation of international law and vowed support for Iran’s right to retaliate.

• The UK, Germany, and France supported action to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon but urged diplomatic channels be reopened.

• Australia, New Zealand, and Japan responded with concern, evacuations, or emergency briefings.

  
  

The U.S. Political Divide

Back home, the strike has also triggered political upheaval. President Trump praised the operation as proof of American strength and claimed it would bring Iran to the negotiating table, but not everyone agrees.

Prominent Democrats — and even some Republicans — accused the President of bypassing Congress and dragging the U.S. into another unauthorized war. Congressman Hakeem Jeffries condemned it as “reckless,” while Rep. Thomas Massie (R) introduced a bill to block unilateral military action against Iran. It’s an all-too-familiar story: bombs first, votes later.

Historical Echoes: A Legacy of Failure and Forgotten Wars

To understand the 2025 strikes on Iran, we have to zoom out — way out. This isn’t just a continuation of the “War on Terror.” It’s a decades-long pattern of American foreign policy in the Middle East and beyond, where short-term military victories mask long-term strategic and humanitarian disasters.

America’s Failed Wars in the Middle East (1950–Present)

• 1953 – Iran Coup (Operation Ajax): CIA-backed removal of Iran’s elected leader.

• 1980s – Iran-Iraq War: U.S. involvement on both sides through covert ops and arms deals.

• 1991 – Gulf War: Quick win, long sanctions, deep resentment.

• 2001–2021 – Afghanistan: Two decades, trillions spent, Taliban back in power.

• 2003 – Iraq War: Based on false intel. Destabilized the entire region.

• 2011 – Libya: NATO-led chaos. Gaddafi gone. Civil war ongoing.

• Ongoing – Syria, Yemen, Somalia: The “forever war” by another name.

Each war was sold as a step toward peace. Each became a blueprint for collapse.

Wars We Ignored — and Their Consequences

Some wars were ignored or barely acknowledged — and the silence shaped today’s world:

• Bosnia (1992–1995): Ethnic cleansing in Europe. Global inaction until too late.

• Congo Wars (1996–2003): Deadliest conflict since WWII. U.S. silence.

• Sudan/Darfur: Labeled genocide, but no major intervention.

• Lebanon Civil War (1975–1990): Ground zero for modern Middle East instability.

• Palestine/Intifadas: Continuous occupation. Rising radicalization. Little accountability.

When America acts — or fails to — the world changes. Iran’s nuclear ambitions, regional hostilities, and global distrust aren’t spontaneous. They’re the aftershocks of decades of missteps, broken alliances, and unchecked power.

Further Reading: Books That Break the Illusion

If this article struck a chord, here are essential reads to deepen your understanding of the wars we fight — and the ones we ignore:

On U.S. Foreign Policy

• The Shock Doctrine — Naomi Klein

• A Problem From Hell — Samantha Power

• The Jakarta Method — Vincent Bevins

• Overthrow — Stephen Kinzer

On the Middle East

• Black Wave — Kim Ghattas

• War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning — Chris Hedges

• The Forever War — Dexter Filkins

• Manufacturing Consent — Noam Chomsky & Edward S. Herman

On Forgotten Conflicts

• Dancing in the Glory of Monsters — Jason Stearns

• Love Thy Neighbor — Peter Maass

• Voices from Chernobyl — Svetlana Alexievich

• Ghost Wars — Steve Coll

  
  

This isn’t strength. This is stagnation. And the world deserves better.

This is our essential reading list for understanding the wars America fights — and the ones it ignores. These books dive deep into U.S. foreign policy, the Middle East, proxy wars, and forgotten global conflicts that shaped the world today. Every title here challenges the official narrative and gives voice to the people caught in the crossfire.

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