On Saturday. June 20, the world not only witnessed a precision military strike against Iran’s nuclear targets, the United States military, under President Donald J Trump as Commander-in-Chief, has likely removed any doubt to America’s adversaries and “allies” that it can “completely and totally obliterate” any threat in the world within 24 hours undetected.
President Trump’s return to Ronald Reagan’s “peace through strength” doctrine of maintaining a strong military presence and capability to deter adversaries and ensure peace was clearly on display in “Operation Midnight Hammer.”
Saturday’s operation against three key Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan—utilized more than 125 aircraft, including seven B-2 bombers, fourth and fifth generation jet fighters, air refueling tankers, and ISR aircraft—all of which were undetected by Iran and adjacent countries.
Under the command of General Eric Kurilla, with support by U.S. Strategic Command, U.S. Transportation Command, U.S. Cyber Command, U.S. Space Command, U.S. Space Force, and the U.S. European Command, B-2 bombers at midnight Friday into Saturday morning, flew from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, in the central United States, to their targets in Iran approximately 6,900 miles away in roughly 18 hours.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan ‘Razin’ Caine shared during a Sunday morning presser the details of the operation.
At approximately 5 p.m. EST Saturday night, he said, a U.S. submarine launched more than two dozen Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles against key targets at the Esfahan nuclear site. The U.S. then employed deception tactics, including decoys, as fourth and fifth generation aircraft swept in front of the strike group to engage any potential enemy fighters and surface-to-air missile threats.
“As the strike package approached Fordow and Natanz, the U.S. protection package employed high-speed suppression weapons to ensure safe passage of the strike package, with fighter assets employing preemptive suppressing fires against any potential Iranian surface-to-air threats,” said Caine.
At approximately 6:40 p.m. EST, the lead B-2 bomber dropped two GBU-57 massive ordnance penetrator weapons on the first of several aim points at Fordow. The remaining bombers then hit their targets. A total of fourteen 30,000-pound GBU-57 massive ordnance penetrators (MOPs) were dropped against all three nuclear target areas by 7:05 p.m. EST.
Caine reported that no shots were fired at the American air fleet during “Operation Midnight Hammer.”
“This mission demonstrates the unmatched reach, coordination, and capability of the United States military,” said Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Caine. “In just a matter of weeks, this went from strategic planning to global execution. This operation underscores the unmatched capabilities and global reach of the United States military. As the President clearly said last night, no other military in the world could have done this.”
Now the world awaits Iran’s response. Will Iran retaliate by attempting to shut down the Strait of Hormuz which 20% of the world’s crude oil passes, will Iran attempt to shut down the Suez Canal where up to 12% of global trade passes (10% of world’s oil and 30% of container traffic), will Iran activate suspected terrorist sleeper cells in Western countries, will Iran attack U.S. military bases in the Middle East, or will Iran intensify its ballistic missile assaults on Isreal?
President Trump on Truth Social yesterday posted that “ANY RETALIATION BY IRAN AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL BE MET WITH FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT.”
Since the launch of “Operation Rising Lion” on June 13, 2025, by Israel, at least 20 senior Iranian commanders have been killed, including prominent generals like Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri and Maj. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh. The attacks also eliminated at least 10 Iranian nuclear scientists involved in the country’s nuclear weapons program.
Following the U.S. operation on Saturday, Iran launched additional missile attacks against Israel specifically hitting Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, and Israeli military bases. Iran has yet to directly retaliate against the United States for “Operation Midnight Hammer.”
On Sunday, June 22, the Iranian parliament did vote to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to “Operation Midnight Hammer.” The final decision on implementing the Strait’s closure now rests with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei which, as mentioned earlier, would disrupt global oil trade.
However, with a name like “Operation Midnight Hammer,” akin to a hammer striking the final nail in the coffin of a foe, one cannot be so ignorant as to think that top U.S. military brass hasn’t for decades analyzed and assessed scenarios of a Strait of Hormuz closure.
The Iranian Navy and IRGCN together (approximately 18,000 regular navy personnel and 15,000 IRGCN suited for coastal operations) operate 7 frigates, 50 small speed boats, 3 Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines, 21 Ghadir-class midget submarines, one Nahang-class midget submarine, up to two working Fateh-class coastal submarines, and hundreds of small craft, including IRGCN’s Boghammar-class, used for harassment and mine-laying.
Iran does possess thousands of mines, including contact and influence mines (e.g., EM-52) that can be deployed by submarines, boats, or civilian vessels to disrupt shipping. It also possesses anti-ship missiles (up to a 200-kilometer range) and ballistic missiles adapted for anti-ship operations, with a range up to 300 kilometers.
Iranian naval air defenses are weak, with limited surface-to-air missiles and no modern systems to counter advanced aircraft or missiles. Its fleet is decades-old, and assets outmatched against U.S. Naval forces. Iran’s vessels are dominated by small, lightly armed craft, optimized for regional disruption.
For comparison, the U.S. Fifth Fleet, stationed in Bahrain off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia, has around 15,000 personnel afloat and 1,000 support personnel ashore, comprising a mix of carrier strike groups, amphibious ready groups, submarines, surface combatants, and support vessels. The Fifth Fleet is smaller in number but vastly superior in tonnage, firepower, and versatility.
The Fifth Fleet maintains a rotating force of 30 to 40 ships that include the following:
- Aircraft Carrier: USS Carl Vinson (Nimitz-class, ~90 aircraft) and incoming USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (CSG).
- Surface Combatants: ~4–6 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (e.g., USS Spruance, USS Sterett) and Ticonderoga-class cruisers, equipped with Aegis systems, Tomahawk missiles, and anti-air/anti-submarine capabilities.
- Amphibious Ships: USS America (LHA-6) with F-35B fighters, MV-22 Ospreys, and Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.
- Submarines: At least one Los Angeles-class or Virginia-class attack submarine, with torpedoes, Tomahawk missiles, and stealth capabilities.
- Support Ships: Fleet oilers (e.g., USNS Guadalupe) and cargo ships (e.g., USNS Cesar Chavez) for sustained operations.
The Fifth Fleet can also call upon carrier-based F/A-18s, F-35Bs, EA-18G Growlers, and land-based P-8 Poseidon aircraft from bases in Qatar and UAE, and the U.S. Navy’s global fleet, if needed.
The Iranian advantage is geography. The Strait of Hormuz is narrowest between the Iranian coast (near Bandar Abbas) and the Musandam Peninsula of Oman—approximately 39 kilometers wide.
Closure by Iran would most likely involve covert mine-laying or drone attacks, and/or swarming attacks by agile craft. However, every attack and operation exposes Iranian vessels to U.S. attack. F-35 and F/A-18 fighter jets will neutralize Iranian missile sites, airfields, and naval bases; U.S. attack submarines will covertly target and eliminate Iran’s Kilo-class subs and coastal infrastructure; minesweepers and helicopters will clear Iranian mines; and U.S. Aegis systems will counter Iran’s anti-ship missiles (if the U.S. air fighters didn’t destroy these assets first).
So, Iranian efforts to close the Strait will cause temporary disruptions of days to weeks, but the U.S. would prevail.
Global crude prices would most likely increase during this period of instability resulting in increased revenues for Russia and strengthen that country’s currency. Higher crude prices would aid in Russia’s ability to fund its war with Ukraine and provide leverage against the E.U. who will most likely experience an oil shortage—approximately 15–20% of the European Union’s crude oil comes from the Middle East. Russia does have the capacity to offer the E.U. crude but will most likely use this advantage to negotiate a Ukrainian peace deal on Russia’s terms that the E.U. may be forced to accept.
The Strait’s closure would hit major oil exporters—Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., and Qatar—hardest, reducing supply to Asia and Europe, which import roughly 80% of the Strait’s oil. Approximately 10% of U.S. crude comes from the Middle East—mostly Saudi Arabia. This would provide some geopolitical leverage to Canada and Mexico who may need to supply any offset in crude from the Middle East to the United States.
While both the U.S. and the E.U. have alternative sources in the case of a Strait closure, China’s options are limited.
Approximately 50–60% of the crude oil transiting the Strait of Hormuz, or roughly 10–12 million barrels per day, is destined for China which operates on a total of approximately 15 million barrels per day. Therefore, it is in China’s economic interest to prevent or minimize any disruptions of crude shipments from the Middle East as over 70% of its daily crude need comes from the region, further isolating Iran.
Any disruption to crude supply from the Middle East with a closure of the Strait of Hormuz will most likely result in not only shortage but also higher oil prices for China that will raise manufacturing and transport costs, fuel inflation and potentially slow the Chinese economy already impacted by U.S. tariffs. Russia could offer some relief, but it is in Russia’s long-term geopolitical interests to leverage its crude capacity to broker a peace deal with Ukraine in its favor that the E.U. will accept.
West African countries such as Nigeria or Angola could increase crude capacities to China, but it would come at a higher cost with longer shipping routes and competition with European nations.
U.S. shale, designed for heavier Gulf crudes, is less compatible with Chinese refineries, but again gives the U.S., more leverage against China by exploiting their reliance on energy imports. China could boost domestic crude output, currently at 4 million barrels per day, and tap into its Strategic Petroleum Reserves, but this would only last a few weeks to months, assuming it doesn’t enter any military conflict during this period.
The world truly runs on Black Gold. The German invasion of North Africa and the Soviet Union and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in World War II partially centered on securing Black Gold to fund their economic prosperity and wartime efforts. Now, 80 years later, crude oil is again playing its part in shaping geopolitical spheres.
If Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, were to close the Strait of Hormuz, it would most likely result in the death nail to the Iranian Regime born out of a 1979 revolution led by liberal intellectuals and students, who ushered in one of the most brutal theocratic regimes in the modern world marked by mass executions, torture, protest crackdowns, and state-sponsored terrorism. The 1979 Iranian Revolution transformed the Strait of Hormuz into a powerful strategic asset used as leverage by the regime against its neighbors and the world.
On June 17, President Trump’s call for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” amid the intensifying Israel-Iran air war, is now the condition set forth by the U.S. to counter Iran’s continued strategic use of oil as a weapon to destabilize global energy and economic security.
Mario Lotmore is originally from The Bahamas and for the last 13 years has called Puget Sound his home. Having lived in every region of the United States has exposed him to various cultures, people, and approaches to life.
Lotmore created the Lynnwood Times to represent the character of a diverse and growing Lynnwood. The launching of the city’s free community newspaper will only help bring neighborhoods together.
Lotmore is an industrial engineer by trade and proven success implementing and managing lean accountable processes and policies within his eighteen years of operations excellence, strategic development, and project management in the aerospace, manufacturing, and banking industries. Over his career he has saved and created hundreds of union and non-union jobs.
Lotmore is the President of a Homeowner Association, and an active Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics volunteer in his community.
COMMENTARY DISCLAIMER: The views and comments expressed are those of the writer and not necessarily those of the Lynnwood Times nor any of its affiliate.
Author: Mario Lotmore
