Seven B-2 bombers, multiple decoys used in "Midnight Hammer" strike on Iranian nuclear facilities

I'll refer you to the graphic on the side as I walk you through some of the operational details

At midnight Friday into Saturday morning, a large B-2 strike package comprised of bombers launched from the continental United States

As part of a plan to maintain tactical surprise, part of the package proceeded to the west and into the Pacific as a decoy

A deception effort known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders here in Washington and in Tampa

The main strike package comprised of seven B-2 Spirit bombers, each with two crew members, proceeded quietly to the east with minimal communications

Throughout the 18-hour flight into the target area, the aircraft completed multiple in-flight refuelings

Once over land, the B-2s linked up with escort and support aircraft in a complex, tightly timed maneuver requiring exact synchronization across multiple platforms in a narrow piece of airspace, all done with minimal communications

At approximately 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time last night and just prior to the strike package entering Iran

a U submarine in the Central Command area of responsibility launched more than two dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles against key surface infrastructure targets at Esfahan As the Operation Midnight Hammer strike package entered Iranian airspace

the U.S. employed several deception tactics, including decoys, as the fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft pushed out in front of the strike package at high altitude and high speed

sweeping in front of the package for enemy fighters and surface-to-air missile threats

As the strike package approached Fordow and Natanz, the U.S. protection package employed

high-speed suppression weapons to ensure safe passage of the strike package, with fighter

assets employing preemptive suppressing fires against any potential Iranian surface-to-air threats. We are currently unaware of any shots fired at the U.S. strike package on the way in

At approximately 6.40 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, 2.10 a.m. Iran time, the lead B-2 dropped two GBU-57 massive ordnance penetrator weapons on the first of several aim points at Fordow

As the president stated last night, the remaining bombers then hit their targets as well with a total of 14 mops dropped against two nuclear target areas