USAF Reveals F-35 Mission Details Inside Iran: Operation Midnight Hammer
The US Air Force has released an unusually detailed account of a high-stakes F-35A deployment that included escorting B-2 Spirit bombers hundreds of miles into Iranian airspace during Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025. The transparency offers a rare glimpse into how modern air combat missions of exceptional complexity are planned, coordinated, and executed at the highest levels. The deployment centered on strikes against Iran’s underground nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. According to the Air Force’s official account from Hill Air Force Base—which oversees the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings—stealth F-35As flown by 388th Fighter Wing pilots penetrated Iranian airspace first, ahead of B-2 bombers, to suppress enemy air defenses and neutralize surface-to-air missile threats.