AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
The picture that's emerging of the U.S. actions against Iran last night is one of a complex military operation with the details closely held. NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman is learning details, and he joins us now. Good morning, Tom.
TOM BOWMAN, BYLINE: Hey, Ayesha.
RASCOE: So you're just back from a briefing at the Pentagon. What stood out to you this morning?
BOWMAN: Well, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine briefed. They said three nuclear sites in Iran were hit. There were more than 125 aircraft in this - on this mission, including B-2 bombers dropping multiple so-called bunker busters - the first time this GBU-57 was used in combat. Also, Ayesha, a submarine was used, as well, firing several dozen Tomahawk missiles.
And there was some deception, as well. Some of the B-2s flew west from a base in Missouri, over the Pacific. Everybody was watching that. This was a decoy mission. The B-2s attacking Iran flew east over the Atlantic, refueling in midair and then joined by fighter aircraft once over land. Officials said Iran was caught completely off guard. No shots were fired at U.S. aircraft. Iranian planes did not take to the skies, and no Iranian missiles were fired.
You know, Secretary Hegseth said this is about degrading Iranian nuclear programs and not regime change. He said it's time for Iran to seek peace and come to the table. A big question is, what happens if Iran does not come to the table or drags out talks with European officials? Clearly, Israel will continue attacks, but will the U.S. mount additional strikes if Iran does not seek peace?
And also, this mission is called Operation Midnight Hammer. It was very closely held. Congressional leaders were only notified after the attacks were over - attacks that took about 25 minutes in total. And while U.S. bases in the Middle East were placed on higher alert, those bases were not given a heads-up.
RASCOE: Do we know anything else about how effective the strikes were?
BOWMAN: Well, they said damage assessment is ongoing, but it will take a while to get a better assessment based on intelligence. President Trump, of course, said the sites were obliterated, but it appears, again, the assessment is ongoing. Of course, analysts have long said that even with such strikes, you can't completely end an Iranian nuclear ambition. So, again, what is the way ahead? The U.S. is clearly at war with Iran. In the past, the U.S. has hit oil platforms, but never Iran proper. So does this continue?
RASCOE: What about potential repercussions here, Tom, and the regional implication for U.S. bases and the people serving there?
BOWMAN: Oh, it's a huge concern. And Hegseth said if Iran hits any of these bases, the U.S. will reply with even greater attacks. There are some 40,000 U.S. troops in the region, including Bahrain, Qatar, Iraq and Syria among them. Five years ago, during Trump's first administration, the U.S. assassinated Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. Iran responded with a ballistic missile attack on the Al-Asad Airbase in Iraq that led to dozens of concussions for U.S. forces. The U.S. was able to give those service members a five-minute-or-so warning, allowing them to go into shelters. So it's possible you could see such attacks. Or maybe Iranian militias operating, especially in Iraq, may weigh in as well. We just don't know at this point.
RASCOE: That's NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman. Tom, thank you so much.
BOWMAN: You're welcome.
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