STORY: The U.S. military's strikes on Iran's nuclear sites were not a preamble to plans for regime change, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday (June 22), adding that private messages had been sent to Tehran encouraging them to negotiate.

Still, Hegseth warned Iran against following through with past threats of retaliation against the United States, and said U.S. forces were postured to defend themselves, and take action if needed.

"This mission was not and has not been about regime change," Hegseth told a reporters at the Pentagon. "The president authorized a precision operation to neutralize the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear program."

The U.S. strikes included 14 bunker-buster bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles and over 125 military aircraft, in an operation the top U.S. general, General Dan Caine, said was named "Operation Midnight Hammer."

Caine said initial battle damage assessments indicated that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction, but he declined to speculate whether any Iranian nuclear capabilities might still be intact.

The operation pushes the Middle East to the brink of a major new conflagration in a region already aflame for more than 20 months with wars in Gaza and Lebanon and a toppled dictator in Syria.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES (JUNE 22, 2025) (U.S. NETWORK POOL – No use USA)

1. WIDE OF U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH AND CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF AIR FORCE GENERAL DAN CAINE HOLDING A BRIEFING AT THE PENTAGON

2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF AIR FORCE GENERAL DAN CAINE SAYING:

"Last night on the President's orders, U.S. Central Command, under the command of General Eric Kurilla, executed Operation Midnight Hammer, a deliberate and precise strike against three Iranian nuclear facilities."

3. WIDE OF BRIEFING

4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF AIR FORCE GENERAL DAN CAINE SAYING:

"At midnight Friday into Saturday morning, a large B2 strike package comprised of bombers launched from the continental United States. As part of a plan to maintain tactical surprise, part of the package proceeded to the west and into the Pacific as a decoy, a deception effort known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders here in Washington and in Tampa. The main strike package, comprised of seven B2 Spirit bombers, each with two crew members, proceeded quietly to the east with minimal communications."

5. JOURNALISTS AT BRIEFING

6. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF AIR FORCE GENERAL DAN CAINE SAYING:

"As the Operation Midnight Hammer strike package entered Iranian airspace, the U.S. employed several deception tactics, including decoys, as the fourth and fifth generation aircraft pushed out in front of the strike package at high altitude and high speed, sweeping in front of the package for enemy fighters and surface-to-air missile threats."

7. WIDE OF BRIEFING

8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF AIR FORCE GENERAL DAN CAINE SAYING:

"We are currently unaware of any shots fired at the U.S. strike package on the way in. At 2:10 PM Eastern Standard Time, 2:10 AM Iran time, the lead B2 dropped two GBU-57 massive ordnance penetrator weapons (MOP) on the first of several aim points at Fordo. As the President stated last night, the remaining bombers then hit their targets as well, with a total of 14 MOPs dropped against two nuclear target areas. All three Iranian nuclear infrastructure targets were struck between 6:40 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. Eastern Time. 10 in the morning local time in Iran, with the Tomahawk missiles being the last to strike at Isfahan to ensure we retain the element of surprise throughout the operation. Following weapons release, the Midnight Hammer strike package exited Iranian airspace and the package began its return home. We are unaware of any shots fired at the package on the way out. Iran's fighters did not fly, and it appears that Iran's surface-to-air missile systems did not see us. Throughout the mission, we retained the element of surprise."

9. WIDE OF BRIEFING

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF AIR FORCE GENERAL DAN CAINE SAYING:

"I know that battle damage is of great interest. Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction."

10. WIDE OF BRIEFING

11. JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION : "Is regime change off the table, Mr. Secretary?"

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH SAYING:

"This mission was not and has not been about regime change. The President authorized a precision operation to neutralize the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear program and the collective self-defense of our troops and our ally, Israel."

13. JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION : "Secretary Hegseth, as a global war on terrorism veteran, what do you say to veterans who may be concerned the U.S. is getting into another open-ended war in the Middle East over weapons of mass destruction?"

14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF DEFENSE PETE HEGSETH SAYING:

"As the President has directed and made clear, this is most certainly not open-ended. It doesn't mean it limits our ability to respond. We will respond if necessary. The most powerful military in the world is postured and prepared to defend our people. But what the President gave us, as I said, was a focused, powerful, and clear mission on the destruction of Iranian nuclear capabilities. Those were the targets. That's what was struck. That was overwhelming. That's what was overwhelming. That's what the Iranian regime needs to understand. As the President put out last night, he wants peace. There needs to be a negotiated settlement here. We ultimately demonstrated that Iran cannot have a nuclear capability. That is a very clear mission set on this operation."

15. HEGSETH, CAINE SHAKING HANDS BEFORE LEAVING ROOM