• The US military released new imagery of its B-2 stealth bombers from before and after the operation against Iran.

• The B-2s were part of Operation Midnight Hammer against Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend.

• Iran has already retaliated by launching missiles at a US air base in Qatar.

The US Air Force on Monday released new photos and video footage of the B-2 Spirit stealth bombers from before and after their participation in Operation Midnight Hammer, the bombing mission that hit Iran's nuclear facilities.

The 509th Bomb Wing that operates the B-2s shared several photos of the aircraft preparing for the operation, which began just after midnight on Saturday, and taking off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.

Seven B-2s flew from Whiteman to Iran, where they dropped 14 heavy bunker-buster bombs — the 30,000-pound GBU-57 — on Tehran's nuclear facilities. Pentagon leadership characterized the mission as a highly secretive and complex operation involving deception tactics.

The GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator is the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal. It is designed to penetrate hardened, underground bunkers, and the B-2 is the only operational aircraft able to carry it. Saturday marked the first time that the MOP was used in combat.

The US military targeted Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters on Sunday that American forces fired about 75 precision-guided weapons during the operation, including the 14 MOPs and over two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from a US Navy submarine at an undisclosed location in the Middle East.

"We devastated the Iranian nuclear program," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said alongside Caine, who added that initial battle damage suggested that all three sites sustained damage and destruction. The full extent of the damage remains to be seen.

Caine said the operation involved over 125 aircraft, including the B-2 bombers, a mix of fourth- and fifth-generation fighter jets, and aerial refueling tankers.

The 509th on Monday also released new photos of the B-2s returning to Whiteman after the operation.

The B-2 is a stealth bomber with a unique flying-wing design built by the US aerospace company Northrop Grumman. It features a low-observable stealth design that allows it to fly through enemy airspace without being spotted by enemy radars supporting hostile surface-to-air-missile batteries.

Caine said that Iran's surface-to-air missile systems did not appear to have spotted the US aircraft. "Throughout the mission, we maintained the element of surprise."

Rafael Grossi, the United Nations nuclear watchdog chief, confirmed that Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan were hit, although the extent of the damage to the underground portions of the sites is unclear. However, satellite imagery revealed extensive destruction above ground at Isfahan, which was struck by the Tomahawks.

Iran responded to the attacks on Monday by firing a volley of ballistic missiles at the US military's largest Middle East base, Al Udeid in Qatar. Doha said it intercepted all the threats and that there were no casualties.

President Donald Trump previously warned Iran that any retaliation would be met with additional use of force. The US military has a large force presence in the Middle East, with fighter jets, warships, and aircraft carriers that could be used for offensive or defensive purposes.

The unprecedented US bombing and Iran's retaliation come as Israeli forces have spent the past week and a half battering Iran's nuclear and military facilities.

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B-2 bomber pilots had microwave, snacks and toilets on the 37-hour flight to demolish Iranian nuclear plants

B-2 bomber pilots were equipped with microwaves, snacks and even a toilet during a grueling 37-hour round-trip mission from Missouri to Iran to strike a trio of nuclear facilities.

U.S. Air Force bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base near Kansas City on Friday, flying more than 18 hours each way to target Iran’s Fordow nuclear plant.

The mission, known as Operation Midnight Hammer, required multiple midair refuelings and was carried out with near-total radio silence, according to officials.

To survive such long and intense missions, the cockpit of the B-2 Spirit has been outfitted with key comforts, including a mini fridge, a microwave, and a toilet. The aircraft also has enough space for one pilot to lie down and rest while the other flies.

Each B-2 costs more than $2 billion and were designed during the Cold War to carry nuclear weapons.

First introduced in 1997, the Northrop aircraft is known for its batwing design and stealth capabilities. The United States currently has 19 B-2 bombers in service, following the loss of one in a 2008 crash.

With only two pilots on board, the plane relies heavily on automation to manage long missions. Past crews have brought along cots or sleeping pads to make the journey more manageable, The Atlantic reported.

The mission to Iran was the longest B-2 operation since the initial U.S. strikes in Afghanistan after September 11 attacks.

While the bombers flew the majority of the mission alone, they were joined by fighter jets and support aircraft near Iranian airspace.

“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,” said Lt. Gen. Daniel Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The actual bombing began at 6:40 p.m. ET on Saturday, lasting just 25 minutes.

The lead bomber dropped two GBU-57 “bunker buster” bombs — each weighing 15 tons — on targets at the Fordow site.

Those bombings marked the first time the United States had used the GBU-57 in combat.

Remaining bombers dropped 14 “massive ordnance penetrators,” or MOPs, on two other targets, according to Caine.

“There is not another military in the world that could have done this,” President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social announcing the strike.

The president had boasted that the nuclear facilities were “completely and totally obliterated” in the attack, though the extent of damage is unclear, and satellite images in the wake of the attack suggest the damage is not as great as the administration initially claimed.

“The biggest damage took place far below ground level,” Trump claimed. “Bullseye!!!”

On Monday, Iran launched missile strikes on a U.S. Air Force base in Qatar in what Iran’s Tasnim news agency called the “annunciation of victory” after Tehran vowed to retaliate in the aftermath of the bombing campaign.

The attack comes after the White House scrambled to say the president was “simply raising a question” after Trump appeared to entertain the idea of a regime change in Tehran, following the president’s claim he had taken a nuclear bomb “right out of Iran’s hands.”

Strikes between Iran and Israel have continued as world leaders demand de-escalation or risk a broader crisis across the Middle East and internationally.