U.S. B-2 Spirit stealth bombers carried out a long-range strike on an underground Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) headquarters in Tehran during the same window as the high-risk rescue operation inside Iran.
According to U.S. officials, the strike was ordered by Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, as part of a coordinated effort to apply pressure while rescue operations were underway.
Multiple B-2 bombers reportedly flew a 36-hour round-trip mission from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to Iran and back, demonstrating the global reach of U.S. strategic strike capabilities.
The aircraft used Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker-buster munitions, designed to destroy deeply buried and hardened targets. These are the same class of weapons previously used against fortified nuclear-related facilities.
The target was described as an underground IRGC command site where senior commanders were reportedly gathered. U.S. officials stated that the facility was successfully destroyed, with many individuals inside presumed killed.
The timing of the strike—executed alongside an active combat search-and-rescue mission—highlights a synchronized operational approach, combining strategic bombing, intelligence coordination, and special operations within a single operational window.
The development marks a significant escalation in targeting high-value Iranian military infrastructure, particularly deeply buried command centers near the capital.
