The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday evening (March 13) that a B-2 stealth bomber had carried out a long-range strike mission against Iran. Since executing the “Midnight Hammer” airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last June, the B-2 bomber has been involved in multiple operations targeting Iranian objectives.
CENTCOM released footage of the B-2 bomber taking off on social media platform X, accompanied by the statement: “The B-2 stealth bomber took off to carry out the ‘Epic Wrath Operation,’ conducting long-range firepower strikes not only to eliminate the current threat posed by the Iranian regime but also to destroy its future rebuilding capabilities.”
On Friday morning, US Secretary of Defense Hagsees stated during the latest war briefing at the Pentagon that all of Iran’s defense industries would be “destroyed rapidly, and very rapidly.”
“Today, the number of strikes by the United States against Iran and over Tehran will once again reach a new high,” Hagsees remarked.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kane also noted during the same press conference, “The deployment and number of bomber aircraft have reached historic highs, and they continue to increase.”
“As we intensify our strikes, the quantity itself conveys its unique significance,” he added.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed on March 10 that the US military was using elite B-2 stealth bombers to drop dozens of 2,000-pound “Bunker Busters” on Iran’s deeply buried missile production facilities.
On February 28, these stealth bombers also participated in the initial airstrikes of the Epic Wrath Operation. The US Central Command stated on social media platform X on March 1 that “last night, US B-2 stealth bombers, armed with 2,000-pound bombs, struck Iran’s hardened ballistic missile facilities. No country should doubt America’s determination.”
The B-2’s long-range capabilities and aerial refueling ability allow it to launch attacks from the US mainland to any global combat zone. During the “Midnight Hammer” operation launched by the US against Iran’s nuclear facilities last June, seven stealth B-2 bombers were deployed. These bombers dropped 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOP), each weighing 30,000 pounds, on Iran’s two nuclear sites: Fordow and Natanz. This operation also marked the first use of MOPs by the US military.
In 1999, during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, known as “Operation Allied Force,” B-2 bombers were responsible for destroying one-third of Serbia’s targets during the first eight weeks. They flew non-stop missions from Whiteman Air Force Base to Kosovo and back, demonstrating their combat effectiveness and operational spirit.
During the Iraq War, the B-2 bomber completed its first combat deployment. A total of 22 sorties were launched from the front lines and 27 sorties from Whiteman Air Force Base, dropping over 1.5 million pounds (680,000 kilograms) of bombs in total.