Tehran / Washington — The air war over Iran has entered an unprecedented phase after waves of US B‑2 Spirit stealth bombers carried out what Pentagon officials are calling the largest coordinated deep‑strike operation in history, obliterating a network of underground Iranian bases long touted as impregnable.

Taking off from undisclosed bases and refuelling en route, the bat‑wing bombers slipped through Iran’s battered air‑defence grid under heavy electronic‑warfare cover. In the space of a few hours, they dropped scores of GPS‑guided “bunker‑buster” munitions on hardened Revolutionary Guard complexes buried beneath mountains in Kermanshah, Khuzestan and central Iran. Satellite images now show collapsed tunnel mouths, caved‑in caverns and scorched blast doors twisted like foil.

US commanders say the targets were Iran’s core missile and drone hubs — underground arsenals storing medium‑ and long‑range missiles, armed UAVs and command bunkers used to direct strikes on Israel, Gulf states and US bases. “This was designed to take decades of investment off the table in one night,” a senior defence official said.

In Tehran, state TV insists “key capabilities survive” but has been forced to acknowledge “serious structural damage” and communications blackouts across multiple IRGC brigades. Hardline commentators are calling for immediate retaliation “on every front,” yet privately officials admit it could take months to assess what remains usable below ground.

Analysts warn that by proving it can repeatedly reach and shatter Iran’s deepest bunkers, Washington has not only mauled the IRGC’s arsenal — it has also undercut the psychological shield of those underground “cities,” pushing Tehran toward riskier, more exposed ways of waging war.