Midnight Hammer To Rising Lion, List Of Major Military Operations In Middle East

The United States on Sunday struck three of Iran's most fortified nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer, this was the largest American air campaign in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq War.

The strike involved over 125 aircraft, including seven B-2 stealth bombers and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles. For the first time in combat, the US used GBU-57 bunker-busting bombs to hit deeply buried targets.

Operation Midnight Hammer now joins the growing list of high-profile military actions in the Middle East in recent years.

Operation Rising Lion

Israel launched Operation Rising Lion on June 13 to neutralise what it described as an existential threat posed by Iran's advancing nuclear programme. Despite the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) saying there was no evidence of Iran developing nuclear weapons, the Israeli operation targeted key sites, missile factories, command centres, and top officials to prevent Tehran from reaching a “point of no return.”

On June 20, IAEA Director General Grossi told the UNSC that they can guarantee, "through a watertight inspections system, that nuclear weapons will not be developed in Iran". Two days later, the US bombed three nuclear sites in Iran.

Operation Iron Wall

Operation Iron Wall was launched by Israel on January 21 as a large-scale military offensive against what they called Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank. Initially focused on the Jenin Brigades in Jenin, the operation quickly expanded to Tulkarm and other Palestinian cities. Israeli leaders framed the operation as a response to the "Iranian axis" (Iranian support of West Bank militants) and a step toward securing settlements.

Operation Days Of Repentance

Operation Days of Repentance was an Israeli military campaign carried out on October 26, 2024, as "a measured act of retaliation" to a prior missile barrage launched by Iran. The operation targeted several Iranian military installations, including missile factories and other key facilities. The IDF confirmed the strikes and reported that all aircraft involved returned safely.

Operation True Promise

Iran launched Operation True Promise in response to the April 1, 2024, Israeli strike on its embassy in Damascus. Claimed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the operation has featured multiple waves of drone and missile attacks on Israel, including over 300 aerial threats in one of its most intense phases. On June 20, the campaign entered its third phase (True Promise-3), with the IRGC launching its 18th wave using Shahed-136 drones and precision-guided missiles targeting Israeli military logistics hubs.

Operation Poseidon Archer

Operation Poseidon Archer was a joint US-UK military campaign launched in January 2024 to counter Houthi (rebel group in Yemen) attacks on Red Sea shipping. The operation involved precision airstrikes and naval missile launches and was supported by coalition partners, including Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands. Though successful in degrading Houthi capabilities, sporadic attacks have continued.