Operation Midnight Hammer the ingredients of a major success but its place among the most successful U.S. military missions of all time is still very much to be determined. We’ll need to gauge its longer term effects on Iran’s nuclear program and regional stability before making a judgment.
According to prediction markets like Polymarket, there’s still a 25% chance that the Fordow nuclear facility wasn’t destroyed and a 12% chance the Iran still gets a nuclear weapon this yea.
In any case, here are previous missions that it is competing with — all of which not only met their objectives but did so with speed, ingenuity, and strategy while changing the course of history, for the better.
Without further ado, 12 of the most successful missions carried out by the U.S. military in history.
Operation Overlord (D‑Day) – 1944
Turning the Tide in Europe
The Allied landings on Normandy’s beaches broke Hitler’s Atlantic Wall and opened a Western front. U.S. forces seized Omaha and Utah Beaches under brutal fire, then pushed inland to liberate Paris. Overlord’s success hastened Nazi Germany’s collapse and remains the textbook example of large‑scale joint planning.
Operation Torch – 1942
America’s Debut in the European Theater
Three U.S.–led amphibious task forces struck Vichy‑held Morocco and Algeria simultaneously, capturing key ports with minimal casualties. Torch introduced inexperienced American troops to modern combat, secured North Africa for the Allies, and set the stage for Sicily and Italy.
Battle of Midway / Operation MI – 1942
Four Carriers in Three Days
Breaking Japanese naval codes let Admiral Chester Nimitz ambush a larger fleet northwest of Hawaii. U.S. dive‑bombers sank four enemy carriers—turning Japan’s rapid expansion into a long, grinding retreat. Midway cost the Imperial Navy its offensive striking power and is still cited as a masterclass in intelligence‑led victory.
Operation Chromite – 1950
A Masterstroke in Korea
Facing annihilation at the Pusan Perimeter, Gen. Douglas MacArthur chose an audacious gamble: land Marines behind enemy lines at the tidal‑choked port of Inchon. The surprise severed North Korean supply routes, liberated Seoul, and flipped the Korean War’s momentum in just two weeks.
Operation Urgent Fury – 1983
Rescuing Grenada—and 600 American Students
A Marxist coup on the Caribbean island threatened U.S. citizens and regional stability. In barely a week, 7,000 U.S. troops toppled the regime, evacuated hostages, and restored constitutional order. Despite communications hiccups, the mission’s speed and precision reasserted U.S. influence in the hemisphere.
Operation Just Cause - 1990
Good‑bye, General Noriega
When Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega nullified an election and threatened U.S. interests, 26,000 troops struck 27 targets in one night. Noriega surrendered within days, the Panama Canal was secured, and a democratically elected government took office—an emphatic demonstration of U.S. rapid‑deployment doctrine.
Operation Desert Storm - 1991
The 100‑Hour Ground War
After Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, an unprecedented coalition led by the U.S. unleashed five weeks of air strikes, then a swift armored “left hook” through the desert. Kuwait was liberated in a matter of days. The operation validated precision‑guided munitions and joint‑service integration on a massive scale.
Operation Praying Mantis – 1988
One Day, One Navy Neutralized
Following an Iranian mine strike on USS Samuel B. Roberts, U.S. surface groups destroyed or disabled half of Iran’s operational warships in under 12 hours—the largest U.S. naval engagement since WWII. Tehran backed down, proving freedom of navigation in the Gulf could be enforced decisively.
Operation Enduring Freedom (Initial Phase) – 2001
Toppling the Taliban in 10 Weeks
Special Forces on horseback, precision air power, and Afghan Northern Alliance fighters combined to oust the Taliban regime with fewer than 300 U.S. boots on the ground. While the broader war grew complex, the opening phase remains a template for leveraging local partners and technology.
Operation Neptune’s Spear – 2011
Down Goes Bin Laden
In a moonless night raid on Abbottabad, Pakistan, Navy SEALs from DEVGRU flew 160 miles undetected, breached a fortified compound, and killed the architect of 9/11—all in under 40 minutes. No American casualties, a trove of intelligence, and closure for millions made the mission an instant classic in special‑operations lore.
Operation Inherent Resolve – 2014 to 2019 (Key Combat Phase)
Dismantling the ISIS “Caliphate”
A U.S.‑led coalition combined air power, cyber operations, and training for 100,000 Iraqi and Syrian partner forces. By March 2019, ISIS had lost 100 % of its territorial holdings—including Mosul and Raqqa—crushing the group’s state‑building project and restoring a measure of regional stability.
Berlin Airlift (Operation Vittles)- 1948 to 1949
Calories as a Weapon System
When the Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin, U.S. and Allied cargo planes delivered 2.3 million tons of food and fuel—one flight landing every 45 seconds at peak. The successful air bridge broke the blockade without a shot fired and cemented America’s post‑war commitment to Europe.
Why These Missions Matter
Each operation married clear political goals with the right blend of intelligence, technology, and human grit. Whether smashing an enemy fleet in hours or airlifting hope for a year, these successes show how strategy and execution—when perfectly aligned—can alter history in America’s favor.
