B-2 Spirits Strike Iran's Buried Missile Launchers

Flying from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, US B-2 Spirit stealth bombers struck three deeply buried IRGC ballistic missile launcher complexes across Iran on Day 6 evening. The GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator — a 30,000-lb bunker-buster capable of penetrating 60 metres of reinforced concrete — was used against hardened underground facilities at Khorramabad, Semnan, and Shahrud. CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper announced the strikes at a press conference, stating the US objective was to raze or level Iran's ballistic missile industry. The strikes represent a qualitative escalation: prior B-2 missions targeted surface infrastructure; these targeted underground command-and-launch facilities designed to survive conventional attack. Iran's daily missile rate has since dropped from 90 on Day 1 to approximately 20 by Day 7.