US Attack on Iran Nuclear Sites, Israel’s “Operation Needle” Matched by America’s “Operation Sledgehammer”

Regardless of the pro and con attitudes towards the United States' attack on three Iranian nuclear sites, namely Nathanz, Fordow, and Isfahan, an attack on a nuclear site always involves complex planning and operations. Only countries with capable air force capabilities can carry it out.

United States President Donald Trump praised the executors of the attack on Iran's nuclear site in a speech shortly after the assault on the Iranian nuclear facility, Sunday (22/6/2025). The United States has launched an attack on Iran's nuclear site. This operation, dubbed "Operation Midnight Hammer," involved a combination of advanced weaponry and strategic deception.

"I would like to thank the Israeli military for the extraordinary work they have done and, most importantly, I want to congratulate the American patriots who flew those incredible machines tonight, and the entire United States military for an operation that the world has not seen in decades," said Trump.

President Trump's praise for the U.S. Air Force pilots was not merely political niceties. The efforts to destroy three key sites in Iran have been undertaken by Israel repeatedly since the beginning of the attack on Friday (13/6/2025), but have not succeeded. On Saturday (21/6/2025) morning, for instance, Israel attacked centrifuge production facilities in Isfahan in two waves, while attacks on Nathanz and Fordow have been carried out repeatedly but remain unchanged.

Regarding the Fordow nuclear site, the second largest after Natanz, it has been subjected to multiple attacks with "bunker buster" bombs from Israel. As a result, an earthquake equivalent to M 2.5 occurred, felt as far away as the city of Qom, which is located 35 kilometers from the Fordow underground site complex. This magnitude was recorded on the website of the National Seismological Centre, University of Tehran, on Sunday (15/6/2025).

However, no matter how formidable the Fordow nuclear site is, with its main structure believed to be located up to 100 meters beneath a rocky mountain, it will not be able to withstand the onslaught of the largest bunker-busting bomb owned by the United States: the GBU-57. This was proven on Sunday (22/6/2025) when the B-2 Spirit strategic bomber launched at least six bunker-busting bombs, each weighing 13 tons.

The results of the Midnight Hammer operation were finally clear, the three largest nuclear enrichment sites owned by Iran were completely destroyed both on the ground and underground by the US's giant MOP (massive ordnance penetrator) bomb attack. President Donald Trump announced with an excited face that Iran had lost its nuclear enrichment assets forever.

President Trump's arrogance may not be unfounded. In fact, since the first atomic bomb was developed on July 16, 1945, through the "Manhattan" project, only two countries, namely Israel and the United States, have been able to attack and destroy a uranium enrichment site/raw material for nuclear weapons successfully. Moreover, the success of this destruction mission was also accompanied by the absence of material losses or casualties among soldiers shot by the enemy.

Nonetheless, it is not easy to penetrate an area that contains facilities for enriching nuclear raw materials, especially when the country has political and military adversaries in the region. Various air defense systems, whether mobile or stationary, along with strategies and guard soldiers, are certainly on duty 24 hours a day.

Moreover, for Iran, the possession of nuclear weapons is one of the goals of the Islamic Republic of Iran's government, which has two "latent enemies," namely Israel and the United States.

There is something intriguing about the attack on Iran's nuclear sites, one of which is the minimal resistance from Iran's air defense system. This is evidenced by the fact that not a single US or Israeli fighter jet was shot down.

In fact, the number of aircraft involved in the attack was very large. In the initial attack by Israel, under the tagline "Operation Rising Lion", about 200 jets of various types, F-35 Adir, F-16i, F-15, tanker aircraft, and early warning command aircraft (Awacs), flew in groups towards Iran which is 1,200-2,000 km from the Negev airport, Israel.

Meanwhile, in the attack carried out by the United States, 75 fighter jets, including 7 B-2 Spirit strategic bombers, launched an assault on Iran from various directions. Up to that point, not a single aircraft had been shot down by Iran's air defense systems. This is despite Iran possessing various advanced anti-aircraft missile systems.

Iran is even known to have developed its air defense weapon systems, both through domestic production and procurement from other countries, particularly Russia. Although some of its systems are outdated, they have also launched newer and more advanced systems in recent years.

Iran has possessed four advanced S-300 PMU2 missile systems manufactured by Russia since 2016. The S-300 system is designed to engage multiple targets, including aircraft, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, at long ranges and high altitudes. Iran also has lower-tier defense systems, such as Bavar-373, S-200 Fajr, Khordad 15, and Tor-M1, which are of shorter range.

From a number of sources, these various defense systems have been destroyed in advance through various means, starting from surveillance drone attacks, being attacked on land by Israeli elements inside Iran, or being attacked directly by missiles from Israeli jets attacking Iran.

Similarly, not a single fighter jet owned by Iran was heard intercepting the arrival of hundreds of enemy fighter jets. However, it turned out that none of them functioned as intended because they had hastily fled or were destroyed at their storage locations.

The testimony of a pilot from the Israeli Squadron 133 who flies the F-15 fighter jet, Major N (31), as stated on the Ynet media portal. "The risk level in Iran allows us to take off, stay there for up to 2 hours, return, and do it again and again," he said.

"Every pilot dreams of shooting down enemy aircraft, and we are ready for that. However, during the opening wave of the attack, when we entered Iranian airspace, we saw their pilots take off and then flee. They flew into central Iran, completely escaping from us and disappearing," he stated.

On June 7, 1981, the Israeli Air Force also carried out one of the most monumental military strikes in the air bombing missions of the 20th century. In an operation named "Opera," or often referred to as Operation Babylon, 14 fighter jets were deployed. This operation required long-range bombing capabilities.

The aircraft carried additional fuel tanks to fly more than 1,000 kilometers to destroy the Osirak nuclear reactor located near Baghdad, Iraq. At that time, Saddam Hussein's nuclear weapons program had completed the construction of a uranium enrichment reactor with the assistance of contractors from France.

Israeli military planners are formulating options for an attack after intelligence data gathered from satellite imagery, secret agents, and international sources confirmed that the Osirak reactor is nearly complete. Mossad is also reported to have received technical details from Iranian and European sources, including critical insights into the reactor's weak points and the fuel loading schedule.

The Israeli Air Force has chosen to use a combination of F-16A Fighting Falcons (attack aircraft) and F-15A Eagles as escort fighters for the mission. Each F-16 is armed with two 2,000-pound (approximately 1 ton) unguided Mark 84 bombs, intended to penetrate the concrete dome of the reactor.

The F-15 aircraft will provide air protection and confront any Iraqi aircraft that intercepts. The final strike force includes eight F-16s and six F-15s, manned by elite pilots selected for their combat experience and precision flying skills.

The mission was launched on Sunday afternoon, June 7, 1981. Taking off from the Etzion Air Base in the Sinai Peninsula (which was then still under Israeli control), the fighter jets flew silently, maintaining a very low altitude to avoid radar detection. Their flight path crossed the airspace of Jordan and Saudi Arabia, areas where radar and air defense systems could jeopardize the mission if alerted.

Israeli pilots maintained a tight formation, flying less than 100 meters above the ground to avoid early detection. Ironically, it was later revealed that King Hussein of Jordan, who was vacationing in the Gulf of Aqaba, reportedly saw the planes flying east and realized their possible intentions. He informed the United States, but the warning came too late.

After confirming the success of the attack, the fighter jets flew swiftly and turned west, returning to Israeli airspace. The 14 aircraft returned home without encountering any Iraqi air defenses or sustaining any damage.

The Osirak attack in 1981 became a significant moment in Israel's security doctrine. The Prime Minister of Israel at the time, Menachem Begin, stated that Israel would never allow an enemy regime to acquire nuclear weapons, a principle that later became known as the Begin Doctrine. This doctrine justifies the use of force to prevent future threats, even at the risk of diplomatic failure.

In the following years, the Begin Doctrine influenced the strategic thinking of Israel and the United States. Israel repeated similar tactics in 2007 when it destroyed a suspected nuclear facility in Syria located in Deir ez-Zor during Operation Orchard, an attack that bore similarities to Osirak.

The Israeli attack in 1981 on the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq was a defining moment in the history of military strategy and international relations. This attack shifted the debate on nuclear non-proliferation, introduced new norms surrounding preventive warfare, and reinforced Israel's role as a nation willing to take bold actions to ensure its survival.

Although initially condemned, the long-term consequences of the operation have led many to reassess its wisdom. In a region marked by instability and distrust, Operation Opera remains one of the boldest and most impactful military assaults in modern history.

Now, Israel's "achievement" has been matched by the American B-2 Spirit bomber pilots and their escort fighter jets, with a far more massive, tactical, and complex number, even involving the "lies of the US president" regarding the existence and timing of the attack on Iran.

Two countries, Israel and the United States, which are currently facing criticism from Palestinian sympathizers worldwide, may be perceived as cunning and slippery. However, in modern warfare, when all resources are mobilized to win battles, the world will ultimately recognize the ingenuity and bravery of the combat pilots from these nations. (KOMPAS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT)