America’s Operation Midnight Hammer against Iran joins list of key military operations in the Middle East; check full list

The United States on Sunday, June 22, 2025, launched one of its biggest aerial strikes in decades in the Middle East, targeting Iran’s three key nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the attack, named Operation Midnight Hammer, was carried out under the direct orders of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Speaking at a Pentagon news conference, Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the mission involved decoys and deception and met with no Iranian resistance. Operation Midnight Hammer joined the list of key military operations that have been carried out in the Middle East in the last two years.

Here’s the list of military operations in the Middle East carried out in recent times

Operation Rising Lion: Operation Rising Lion is a large-scale airstrike operation carried out by Israel against Iran starting June 13, 2025, marking the beginning of a fresh escalation in the Middle East two years after the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The Israeli operation targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, military installations, and high-ranking officials. It also aimed to disrupt Iran’s nuclear weapons development and degrade its military capabilities, citing the threat to its existence. One of its major targets was Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, which is a key uranium enrichment center.

Operation Iron Wall: Israeli security forces had launched an operation in the West Bank city of Jenin in January 2025. The operations damaged cars and burned property. The operation took place during the Gaza ceasefire and was described by the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as “another step towards achieving the goal we set—strengthening security in Judea and Samaria,” as reported by The Guardian. He stated that it included police, military, and the Shin Bet internal intelligence agency.

Operation Days of Repentance: This military operation was launched by Israel against Iran in the early hours of October 26, 2024, targeting Tehran’s military infrastructure. Following the attack, Israel announced that it had launched ‘precise and targeted’ strikes on ‘military targets’ in Iran. The attack was in response to the Iranian ballistic missile attack in October 2024. Israel had briefed about the attack, saying that there were three waves of strikes, apparently involving around 100 aircraft, including drones.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the phrase “Days of Repentance” refers to the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in Judaism, known as the Ten Days of Repentance. During this period, people are called to reflect on their actions, make amends, and return to a path of integrity, leading to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Hebrew term teshuva, meaning “return,” encapsulates this idea of spiritual renewal and self-improvement.
Operation True Promise: Operation True Promise was launched by Iran on Israel in response to the attack on the Iranian embassy on April 1, 2024, Iran’s revolutionary guards had claimed. Under Operation True Promise, Iran had launched a massive drone attack using ‘Shaheed’ drones and cruise missiles to attack Israel. This military operation is still ongoing and has entered the third phase as the IRGC launched the 18th wave of Operation True Promise-3 on June 20. It targeted Israeli operational support centers. The latest phase of the campaign involved the use of Shahed-136 drones and precision-guided missiles.
Operation Poseidon Archer: Operation Poseidon Archer was launched on January 12, 2024, with the US and UK unleashing air and missile strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen to disrupt their ability to attack ships.