Trump: U.S. Pilots Practiced Iran Strike for Decades

President describes yearslong training and precise execution of B-2 bombing run.

Ryan Ewing

Tuesday, November 04, 2025 at 01:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

B-2 Spirit undergoes refueling. [Credit: Senior Airman Keith James, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons]

Key Takeaways:

President Trump announced that the U.S. Air Force executed a highly complex strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, a mission he claimed pilots had rehearsed for over two decades.
The operation reportedly involved B-2 stealth bombers delivering precision weapons to underground targets, supported by fighter jets and 52 tanker aircraft for a 37-hour round trip.
Trump asserted he was the only president to authorize this long-planned mission, claiming "every single missile hit every single air shaft," and subsequently awarded medals to the participating crews.

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President Donald Trump said U.S. Air Force pilots who carried out this year’s strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities had been rehearsing the mission profile for more than two decades, describing it as one of the most complex operations ever undertaken by American forces.

In an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS’ 60 Minutes, Trump said he invited the pilots, mechanics, and support crews involved in the mission to the White House following the June operation.