Washington DC: The United States has stated that it does not seek war with Iran, following a surprise overnight bombing of three major nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic. The precision operation, dubbed ‘Operation Midnight Hammer’, targeted facilities in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan and was designed to cripple Iran’s nuclear infrastructure without provoking broader conflict.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed a Pentagon briefing on Sunday, saying the mission was not about regime change but to degrade Iran's capacity to produce nuclear weapons. “This was a bold, deliberate and precise strike,” Hegseth said, “and we were in and out before the world knew.”

Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed that all three sites suffered “extreme damage and destruction”, with early reports suggesting the attacks went undetected by Iran's air defence systems. “Iran’s fighters didn’t fly, and it appears their surface-to-air missiles never saw us,” he said.

According to Caine, the US deployed more than 125 aircraft and launched 75 precision-guided munitions as part of the operation. B-2 stealth bombers, protected by fighter escorts and supported by decoy manoeuvres, conducted the strike, while a US submarine fired Tomahawk missiles at Isfahan.

Vice President JD Vance, speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, said the attack had “substantially delayed” Iran’s ability to develop a nuclear weapon, potentially by many years. He added that the mission was a last resort after diplomatic efforts failed, but expressed hope that it could now reset US-Iran relations. “If Iran is willing to abandon its nuclear ambitions, the US is willing to engage in negotiations,” Vance said.

The operation follows Israel’s own strikes earlier this month on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and top military personnel, escalating a regional conflict. While Washington insists its attack was limited to nuclear targets, Tehran condemned the move as a grave violation of sovereignty.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking from Turkey, warned that the US had crossed “a very big red line” and would bear full responsibility for any response. “I don’t know how much room is left for diplomacy,” he said. He is scheduled to travel to Moscow to consult with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia and China both condemned the US strikes, while Turkey warned that the conflict risked expanding beyond the Middle East to a global scale.

Although President Donald Trump had said just days earlier he would take two weeks to decide on military action, Hegseth indicated the timeline was deliberate. “Iran found out that when Trump says 60 days of peace talks, he means 60 days—and not a day more,” he said.

The attack was timed precisely between 6:40 PM and 7:05 PM Washington time on Saturday, corresponding to early Sunday morning in Iran. The US claimed the strike was so covert that “very few in Washington” knew of the exact plan, with Hegseth hailing it as “historic.”

With the Middle East on edge, the Pentagon said US forces remain on high alert to respond to any Iranian retaliation or proxy attacks.
(With AFP inputs)