Kingsley Wilson, spokesperson for the United States Department of Defense (Pentagon), announced on Tuesday during a press briefing that the extensive and highly classified aerial operation “Midnight Hammer,” executed by the U.S. Air Force and special units against Iran’s key nuclear facilities, has been “more successful than initial predictions” and has set back the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program by at least two years.
Kabul 24: Ms. Wilson, referencing joint assessments from the intelligence community and Pentagon weapons experts, emphasized: “We succeeded with high precision in destroying or severely damaging the majority of Iran’s enrichment infrastructure, advanced centrifuges, uranium conversion facilities, and nuclear materials storage sites. Our current estimate is that Tehran will need approximately two years to rebuild the lost capacity and return to previous enrichment levels; of course, this is in the most optimistic scenario for Iran.”
The spokesperson also added that the operation utilized precision-guided munitions, deep-penetrating bombs, and next-generation cruise missiles, with no civilian casualties reported.
Wilson stated: “This strike not only severely disrupted Iran’s potential ability to produce nuclear weapons but also sent a clear message to Tehran that any attempt to cross the international community’s red lines will be met with an immediate and devastating response.”The Pentagon has announced that post-operation satellite imagery and intelligence data indicate the complete destruction of the underground facilities at Natanz, Fordow, and parts of Arak.
U.S. officials say Iran currently lacks a sufficient number of advanced IR-6 and IR-8 centrifuges, and rebuilding their supply chain will be highly time-consuming due to severe sanctions and damage to the network for sourcing foreign components.
These statements come as Iranian officials have yet to issue an official response to the operation, though informed sources say Tehran is conducting a comprehensive damage assessment and is likely to release a statement soon.
The Pentagon has emphasized that Operation “Midnight Hammer” was entirely defensive and within the framework of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and the United States is fully prepared to respond to any retaliatory actions
