The maps and graphics that show how “midnight hammer” was, the US military operation against Iran

- Author, Writing
- Author’s title, BBC News World
2 hours

The bombing of the United States to three nuclear facilities of Iran held on Saturday has led to the conflict between Iran and Israel to a new level.

The US army launched bombs to the Iranian nuclear facilities of Natanz, Isfahán and Fordo, the latter considered the most important in the Iranian program.

According to President Donald Trump, the attack was a “spectacular military success”, an offensive that came in support of Israel with the common objective of both allies to prevent Tehran can make a nuclear weapon.

Iran, however, has minimized the effects and has promised to respond.

The American attacks on Saturday arrived after a multi -day military escalation:

On June 13, Israel launched a surprise attack against dozens of Iranian nuclear and military objectives.
According to Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the objective was to deactivate the Iranian nuclear program that was allegedly close to producing a nuclear bomb.
Iran, who insists that his nuclear purposes are peaceful, almost immediately launched hundreds of rockets and drones against Israel in retaliation.
Since then, both countries have continued exchanging attacks in a war in the airspace of both nations that already last more than a week.
Trump said he would give a couple of weeks to sit at the negotiating table.
But on Saturday he launched the “midnight hammer” operation and warned Iran that an answer would cause more lethal attacks.
Iran leaders have said that any type of response against the United States is reserved.

Some satellite images have already seen part of the effects and what military resources were involved in the United States attack.

In BBC Mundo we tell you in graphics and images how was the “midnight hammer” operation.

The US air mobilization

From the early hours of Saturday, the United States forces mobilized their air resources from a base on American soil towards the Middle East.

B-2 bombers, one of the most advanced military aircraft of the US army, were sent to attack Iranian nuclear facilities as part of a wide fleet of the Air Force.

Infographics of the transfer of US planes to the Middle East

Around 22:00 (GMT), the Washington operation reached the Iranian territory with seven B-2 bombers supported by other military resources, including a submarine that opened support fire, the United States explained.

The final objective were three key facilities of the Iranian nuclear program: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahán.

US Military Action Infographics in Iran Nuclear Facilities

Infographics of the location of Iranian nuclear facilities of Fordo, Natanz and Isfahán

Búnkeres attack

One of the US objectives was Fordo, an hidden uranium enrichment plant in a remote mountainous slope, vital for Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Due to the depth of said installation, USA used a type of pump powerful enough to penetrate the site: the massive of mass ammunition (MOP) GBU-57A/B.

Washington said he also attacked two other nuclear facilities: Natanz and Isfahán.

What effects did it have

Iran maintains strict control over the information that can be disseminated from its territory, which makes it difficult for non -state media to corroborate what effects this and other attacks had.

General Dan Caine, Chief of the Ee.U. Ee.U.

From Tehran they minimized the coup, claiming that the material that Almisted Fordo was previously transferred to other places.

“Iran did not suffer a great blow because the materials had already been removed,” said the political deputy director of the Iranian state broadcasting, Hassan Abedini.

The first satellite images after the attacks showed some slopes on the ground.

However, there are no columns of smoke, fire or large debris.

“A great explosive effect will not be observed at the point of entry, since (this type of pumps) are not designed to detonate in access, but in the depths of the installation,” Verify Stu Ray, a senior analyst of images of McKenzie Intelligence Services, told BBC.

Another detail is that the six entrance tunnels to Fordo can no longer be distinguished in the images. This, according to the expert, could be due to the fact that they collapsed after the attacks or that were intentionally blocked by the Iranians in an attempt to “mitigate the damage of air bombing.”

Ray also assured that US airplanes launched at least three different ammunition in two impact points, and that the gray coloration of the soil seems to be concrete remains expelled by the explosions.

Key points

Fordo, Natanz and Isfahán are three strategic points of the Iran nuclear program, but the Islamic nation has other strategic points.

Some are research centers, while other facilities are sources of uranium or mineral processing sites.

It is not clear if the US or Israel will extend their operations to other sites of the Iranian program, but its declared objective is to disable Tehran’s ability to use its nuclear resources.

The United States has a series of military bases and facilities in the Peninsula Árábiga and other nearby nations of the Middle East that could now become goals of Iran if it decides an attack of retaliation against interests of the United States.

After Saturday’s attacks, Trump has placed Iran not to act and sit down to negotiate.

However, Iranian leadership sentenced that in the face of an “extremely dangerous, illegal and criminal” behavior “American reserves” all options “to respond.