WASHINGTON—The U.S. strike on three Iranian nuclear facilities overnight from June 21 to 22 was a highly intricate plan that entailed more than 125 U.S. aircraft and warships and layers of deception, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a Pentagon press briefing.
Dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, Hegseth said preparation for the mission took place over the course of weeks and months, “So that we could be ready when the president of the United States called.”
The U.S. strikes were made a week after Israel launched a series of surprise airstrikes across Iran, aimed at degrading the country’s nuclear programs and military capabilities....
