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US Steps into Israel-Iran War, Executes "Midnight Hammer"

  • Writer: JC Castro
    JC Castro
  • Jun 24
  • 3 min read

Updated: Jun 26

United States defense secretary Pete Hegseth (left) and General Dan Caine (right)
United States defense secretary Pete Hegseth (left) and General Dan Caine (right)

The United States (US) has engaged in the Israel-versus-Iran missile exchanges—the biggest escalation thus far in the nearly two-week-old aerial battle between the two military-might nations—as the American government conducted a surprise, deliberate, precise strike against three major nuclear facilities in Iran on Saturday, 21 June 2025.

 

US defense secretary Pete Hegseth, in a press conference at the Pentagon on Sunday, 22 June 2025, explained that under the instructions of US president and commander-in-chief Donald Trump, the American central command carried out the aerial assault “Midnight Hammer” not to achieve an Iranian-regime shift but to destroy the Islamic country’s nuclear program via bombarding large nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

 

“Last night, on President Trump’s orders, US Central Command conducted a precision strike in the middle of the night against three nuclear facilities in Iran, Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, in order to destroy or severely degrade Iran’s nuclear program,” said Hegseth in his speech.

 

“This mission was not, and has not been about, regime change. The president authorized a precision operation to neutralize the threats to our national [American] interests posed by the Iranian nuclear program, and the collective self-defense of our troops, and our ally Israel,” Hegseth elaborated in response to a question from a reporter.

 

The defense chief recalled that Trump, for over a decade before the aerial offense, had called upon the Iranian government not to arm itself with a nuclear weapon.

 

“For the entirety of his time and office, President Trump has consistently stated for over 10 years that Iran must not get a nuclear weapon, full stop,” emphasized Hegseth.

 

US Air Force General Dan Caine, current chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, described Midnight Hammer as a sophisticated assault aimed at three nuclear infrastructure in Iran.

 

“This was a complex and high-risk mission carried out with exceptional skill and discipline by our joint force,” informed Caine.

 

“It was planned and executed across multiple domains and theaters with coordination that reflects our ability to project power globally with speed and precision at the time and place of our nation’s choosing,” added the top US military official.

 

Caine stated that Midnight Hammer consisted of more than US 125 aircraft, including seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers; fourth and fifth generation fighter jets; dozens of refueler aircraft; and various intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance aerial assets. A guided-missile submarine also took part in the assault.



B-2 Spirit stealth bomber
B-2 Spirit stealth bomber

 

The initial damage assessment of Midnight Hammer shows “extremely severe damage and destruction” to the three target Iranian nuclear sites, according to Caine.

 

 

Iran’s Response

 

The Iranian government, unfazed by the intimidating capability of the US military demonstrated by operation Midnight Hammer, has gone for a tit-for-tat reaction to the US aerial offensive. According to reports published as of this writing, Iran fired missiles against American military camps in Qatar and Iraq, and against Israel on Monday, 23 June 2025.

 

Qatar reported that it “successfully” shot down the Iranian projectiles, resulting in zero death and injury in the targeted areas.

 

Apart from the counterattack of Iran, the Islamic state has also sought Russia’s help on the matter, with Iranian foreign affairs chief Abas Araghchi flying to Russia on Monday to get a word from Russian president Vladimir Putin and other high-ranking officials.

 

 

Impact of the US-Israel-Iran conflict to the Philippines

 

The persisting armed exchanges among the three military powers have mounted economic threats and have caused adverse ripples in commerce worldwide, the Philippines not spared.

 

Remittances of overseas Filipino workers may see a downward movement following the repatriation of Filipinos situated in the Middle East, particularly those in Israel, Iran, and nearby countries.

 

More importantly, the cost of petrol has spiked brought about by the disturbances in oil exportation in the Middle East, especially from Iran, which stands as the top nine petrol producing country across the globe with roughly 3.3 million barrels a day.

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