Two C-130 aircraft were lost during the operation, an official said.
President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes attack targeting military and government sites, officials said.
Watch special coverage on Nightline, "War with Iran," each night on ABC and streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
While addressing the nation from the White House, President Donald Trump said the U.S.' "core strategic objectives" in Iran are "nearing completion."
"We are going to finish the job. And we're going to finish it very fast. We're getting very close," he said.
President Donald Trump will meet with NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House next week, a White House official confirmed.
The meeting comes as Trump's criticism of the alliance has reached a fever pitch. Earlier Wednesday, the president said in a phone interview with Reuters that he is "absolutely" considering trying to withdraw the U.S. from NATO.
The president's current frustration stems from European nations who did not respond to his calls for help in securing the Strait of Hormuz amid the war in Iran.
Trump and Rutte have enjoyed a warm relationship in the past. Rutte visited the White House in 2025, shortly after Trump was sworn back into office and the leaders showered each other in praise.
-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart
President Donald Trump was recently briefed on a variety of ground troop options that included the potential seizure of Iran's highly enriched uranium and Kharg Island, a source familiar with the briefing told ABC News.
No final decision about whether to choose to use ground forces has been made by President Trump, the source said.
Seizing the highly enriched uranium would involve a special operations force, likely a large force, as ABC News has previously reported.
Any forces that might be involved in seizing the uranium would also have undergone specialized and regular training for such a mission.
-ABC News' Luis Martinez
The U.S. and Iran are discussing a potential deal that would involve a ceasefire in exchange for Iran re-opening the Strait of Hormuz, sources familiar with the ongoing negotiations confirmed to ABC News.
Vice President JD Vance passed a message to Iran via Pakistani intermediaries as recently as Tuesday, a U.S. official and a Pakistani official confirmed to ABC.
At Trump's direction, Vance signaled privately that Trump was open to a ceasefire as long as certain U.S. demands were met, including the re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official said.
The vice president's involvement was first reported by Reuters.
Vance also delivered a stern message that President Trump was "impatient" and there would be growing pressure on Iranian infrastructure unless the Iranians made a deal, the U.S. source said.
-ABC News' Mariam Khan
