US attacks Iran: B-2 Bomber jets return to air base after 36-hour ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’ | Watch

The B-2 stealth bombers that dropped massive bunker-buster bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities on Saturday night have returned to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, the White House announced on X, sharing a video of the jets.

According to an AP report, seven B-2 Spirit bombers landed on Sunday at Whiteman Air Force Base, situated about 117 km southeast of Kansas City. The base is home to the 509th Bomb Wing, the only US military unit that operates the B-2 Spirit bombers.

Watch: B-2 stealth bombers return to base in Missouri

The first group of four stealth aircraft did a loop around the base before approaching a runway from the north, while a final group of three arrived within 10 minutes, the report added.

The White House on its official X account wrote: “God bless the United States Military — the greatest force for freedom the world has ever known [sic].”

The post included a video titled ‘B-2 Bombers Safely Touch Down in Missouri After 36-Hour Iran Strike’, which at the time of writing had been viewed over 5 lakh times.

‘Operation Midnight Hammer’: What we know…

• US B-2 Bomber jets were part of a wide-ranging plan involving deception and decoys to deliver what American military leaders believe is a knockout blow to Iran's nuclear programme, AP reported.
• It cited US officials as saying that one group of the stealth aircraft headed west from the base as a decoy to throw off the Iranians. And seven other jets quietly flew off eastward, ultimately engaging in the Iran mission. 
• The jets dropped 14 30,000-pound bombs early Sunday (local time) on two key underground uranium enrichment plants in Iran, as per the report.
• The mission was supported by American sailors, who fired dozens of cruise missiles from a submarine toward at least one other site.
• US officials said Iran neither detected the inbound fusillade nor mustered a shot at the jets. 
• Dubbed Operation ‘Midnight Hammer’, the mission carried out a “precision strike” that “devastated the Iranian nuclear program,” as per US officials.
• Iran has, however, denied that any significant damage has occurred and pledged to retaliate.

(With inputs from AP)