President Donald Trump is enjoying what may be his most successful week in office. A string of high-profile victories—both militarily and diplomatically—have boosted his standing dramatically. NATO leaders are praising his leadership, markets are soaring, and, most significantly, a daring U.S.-led mission in Iran has resulted in the destruction of key nuclear facilities once thought untouchable.
At the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and General “Raising” Cain held a dramatic press briefing celebrating what they called the most precise strike in modern military history. Known as “Operation Midnight Hammer,” the mission targeted Iran’s deeply buried Fordow nuclear enrichment facility—an operation more than 15 years in the making.
Planning for the attack dates back to 2009, when a U.S. officer was assigned to monitor the Fordow site from a secret vault. Over the years, intelligence analysts, engineers, and munitions experts studied every detail—down to the geology and ventilation shafts—developing a custom “bunker buster” weapon capable of destroying the fortified underground complex. After years of preparation and testing, Trump gave the final go-ahead last Friday.
On Saturday, a fleet of B-2 bombers and cruise missile-equipped aircraft from both the U.S. Air Force and Missouri Air National Guard executed the strike. The target, according to Pentagon officials, was the size of a washing machine—margin for error was virtually nonexistent.
The mission was a technical triumph. The U.S. precisely hit two primary ventilation shafts, which allowed the payload—more than 120,000 pounds of explosives—to penetrate deep into the facility before detonating. According to military analysts, overpressure and shockwaves from the blasts tore through critical nuclear infrastructure, eliminating centrifuges and crippling Iran’s enrichment capacity.
To counter the anticipated Iranian response, American forces deployed Patriot missile batteries at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Officials say this resulted in the largest single Patriot missile engagement in U.S. history, intercepting a barrage of Iranian missiles launched in retaliation. Pentagon leadership praised the missile operators as “unsung heroes” and key defenders of regional stability.
While the Pentagon remains cautious about intelligence estimates, independent assessments from the International Atomic Energy Agency and Israeli Atomic Energy Commission confirm the Fordow site was completely destroyed. Even Iranian officials, typically defiant in the face of such claims, have admitted that their nuclear infrastructure has suffered “severe” and “repeated” damage.
However, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei offered a conflicting narrative. In a broadcasted speech, he described the U.S. as having received a “severe slap,” claiming that Iran’s resistance demonstrated American weakness. Khamenei’s remarks were widely dismissed by Western analysts, who point to satellite imagery, intercepted communications, and Iranian internal reports suggesting significant operational setbacks.
Meanwhile, controversy has erupted over U.S. media coverage of the mission. Some mainstream outlets, including CNN, initially cast doubt on the success of the strike. Their reporting relied on unnamed sources and was sharply criticized by Trump allies as politically motivated and factually unsupported.
Fox News host Jesse Watters accused CNN of “cheering against Trump,” while Trump himself derided the network’s anchors as “incompetent” and “disgusting.” Secretary Hegseth echoed that sentiment, saying the press was too eager to “spin” the story into doubt rather than acknowledge the courage and precision of the American military.
The media firestorm also brought renewed scrutiny to reporter Natasha Bertrand, accused by Trump supporters of a history of flawed reporting on Trump-related stories, including the now-debunked 2020 claims regarding the Hunter Biden laptop.
Adding to the week’s drama, President Trump sparked controversy by withholding classified details from Congressional Democrats. He later defended his decision, citing concerns over recent leaks. The Justice Department confirmed it is investigating the source of classified information leaked to The New York Times, with Attorney General Robert O’Malley warning that even members of Congress could face prosecution if found responsible.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the administration, claiming there was “no coherent strategy or endgame.” In response, Trump officials pointed to the obliteration of nuclear production sites as the clearest possible strategy: stopping Iran from building a bomb.
As investigations continue and political tensions rise, few can deny the scale and precision of the week’s events. For Trump, it may go down as a defining chapter of his presidency—one even his critics struggle to dismiss.
