US Air Force reveals rare details of F-35 mission deep inside Iran 

The US Air Force has released an unusually detailed account of an F-35A deployment that included escorting B-2 Spirit bombers hundreds of miles into Iranian airspace during Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025 — offering a rare window into how US aircrews plan, coordinate, and execute some of the most complex missions in modern air combat.   The new information comes from an official Air Force article published by Hill Air Force Base, which oversees the 388th and 419th Fighter Wings. The centerpiece of the deployment, according to the Air Force, came when the 34th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron — made up of Airmen from the active-duty 388th Fighter Wing and Reserve 419th Fighter Wing — was tasked to help lead a strike on Iran’s underground nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. According to the Air Force account, stealth F-35As flown by 388th Fighter Wing pilots were the first aircraft to penetrate Iranian airspace, entering ahead of the B-2s to suppress enemy air defenses, hunt for surface-to-air missile sites, and clear a path for the bomber force. The mission demanded precise timing among tanker crews, B-2 pilots, F-35 formations, and supporting fighter aircraft, commanders recounted. 

First in, last out

“Our weapons officer was the overall mission commander,” recalled Lt. Col. Aaron Osborne, Commander of the 34th Fighter Squadron. “We employed weapons to great effect against surface-to-air missile sites, while they were trying to target us with some very high-end systems and they were just unable to.” 

After the B-2s dropped 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrators and other precision weapons on the Iranian nuclear facilities, the F-35s stayed behind to cover their exit — making the F-35 formation the last aircraft to leave Iranian airspace, the Air Force said. 

Pilots were never fired upon during the strike itself. But once they returned to base, crews braced for retaliation. 

“From that point forward, we were operating under alarm yellow and alarm red conditions, dispersing aircraft and people, expecting ballistic missile attacks, preparing for casualties and medical evacuations. It was wild,” Osborne said. 

Col. Charles Fallon, commander of the 388th Fighter Wing, said the operation demonstrated the maturity of both the aircraft and the Airmen who flew and maintained it. “The rapid nature of this deployment, the operations carried out, and the duration, demonstrated not only the capabilities of our Airmen, but of the F-35 as a platform,” Fallon said. 

Early preparation

The Middle East deployment — which began in March 2025 — wasn’t originally defined by the Iran strike. In fact, aircrew began combat missions within 24 hours of arriving in the region. 

Under a short-notice Immediate Response Force tasking, the squadron immediately joined Operation Rough Rider, a campaign targeting the Houthi organization in Yemen. 

“We got out the door very, very quickly,” Osborne said. “Within 24 hours of being in theater, we were flying the F-35 in combat missions against Houthi targets.” 

During Rough Rider, the 34th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron contributed to strikes that destroyed air defense systems, command-and-control nodes, weapons depots, and both surface-to-air and ballistic missile capabilities. The squadron also recorded the first air-to-air kills by an F-35A, shooting down one-way attack drones. 

Osborne described the early weeks as some of the most challenging flying of the deployment. “This is the first time anyone has been shot at in 20 years — actually carrying out the Wild Weasel mission,” he said. He added that the squadron employed new weapons on the F-35, including deep-penetration munitions, as part of the developing fight. 

A demanding deployment 

Throughout the year, the Airmen operated from several bases across the US Central Command region, shifting locations as needed under an agile combat employment model. Pilots, maintainers, and support personnel made up the 34th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, forming a unit that could generate sorties rapidly and move as conditions required. 

The squadron also integrated with allied forces and other US aircraft, working alongside tankers and multiple fighter types to sustain a high operational tempo. 

Fallon said the deployment made one thing clear: the 388th Fighter Wing has matured into a combat-proven F-35 force. Whether suppressing air defenses, escorting bombers, or striking targets in contested airspace, the wing demonstrated it could support missions across a broad range of threat environments. 

Experience reshapes a squadron 

By the end of the deployment, the Air Force said the experience level inside the unit had transformed. Young pilots with no previous combat time were planning major missions. Experienced maintainers mentored younger Airmen while helping raise the overall competency of other F-35 units in the region. 

“To see the squadron grow and get to a spot where the Airmen are comfortable living and working in a place where you’re being shot at and still be experts… it was impressive to see,” Osborne said. 

The Air Force’s unusually open account of the deployment provides one of the clearest public pictures to date of how US F-35 units operate when called upon to conduct sustained, high-end missions — including rare long-range strikes inside heavily defended airspace. 

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