On 22 June 2025, the U.S. military carried out Operation Midnight Hammer, conducting night strikes on Iran’s three main nuclear facilities with submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles and B-2 bombers carrying GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOP), or “bunker-buster,” bombs. The operation, which occurred nine days into the Iran-Israel war, inflicted significant damage on the Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites. Following intensive U.S. diplomacy, Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire on June 24. Although the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is Iran’s most consequential economic partner and the two countries have a comprehensive strategic partnership, Beijing’s response to the attacks was relatively muted.
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