The Trump administration insisted that the US operation against Iranian nuclear sites was a 鈥渢otal success鈥 and slammed media reports raising doubts on the efficiency of the military strikes, sharing a test footage to prove damage on the sites.
In a dramatic escalation, the US deployed seven B-2 bombers that struck two nuclear sites in Iran with massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs last weekend, while a guided missile submarine struck a third site with Tomahawk cruise missiles.
During a news conference, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General. Dan Caine shared test footage of the bunker-buster bombs to prove the damage caused by the bombs in Iran.
The video seemed to show a performance test of the munition, the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator 鈥渂unker-buster鈥, which is specifically used for underground targets. Neither the site of the test nor the date of the test was disclosed.
Pentagon releases test footage showing how bunker-busters work.@SecDef Hegseth: 鈥淏ecause of the hatred of this press鈥 your people are trying to leak & spin that it wasn鈥檛 successful. It鈥檚 irresponsible.鈥 Gen. 鈥淩azin鈥 Caine, on the mission: 鈥淚 have chills..talking about this.鈥 pic.twitter.com/nS1q6ml7Ae
鈥 The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 26, 2025
鈥淧resident Donald J. Trump directed the most complex and secretive military operation in history, and it was a resounding success, resulting in a cease-fire agreement and the end of the 12-day war [between Iran and Israel],鈥 said Hegseth.
Hegseth and Caine also pushed back against a classified Defence Intelligence Agency report, which claimed that the attacks damaged the facilities in Iran but did not destroy them, and that the country鈥檚 nuclear programme has been pushed only by a few months. Hegseth said the report had 鈥渓ow confidence鈥 and 鈥済aps in the information鈥.
鈥楬ave Chills Talking About This鈥
Meanwhile, Caine said Iran attempted to cover the main shafts of the facilities with concrete in the days leading up to the US attack. 鈥淭he planners had to account for this, they accounted for everything. The cap was forcibly removed by the first weapon, and the main shaft was uncovered.鈥
Caine said the weapons were built, tested and delivered properly for Operation Midnight Hammer on June 21 and all guided to their intended targets. 鈥淲hen the crews went to work on Friday, they kissed their loved ones goodbye 鈥 not knowing when or if they鈥檇 be home. Late on Saturday night, their families became aware of what was happening, and on Sunday, when those jets returned [to] Whiteman, their families were there 鈥 flags flying and tears flowing. I have chills literally talking about this,鈥 he said.
Meanwhile, Hegseth said he was not aware of whether any enriched uranium was taken outside the nuclear facilities before the US attack. He indicated that the administration鈥檚 claim that the sites were 鈥渙bliterated鈥 was based on the capability of the weapons used.
Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign targeting Iranian nuclear sites, scientists and top military brass on June 13 in a bid to end the country鈥檚 nuclear program, which Tehran says is for civilian purposes but Washington and other powers insist is aimed at acquiring atomic weapons.
(with agency inputs)