U.S. Air Force pilots who conducted the June 22 bombing mission on Iran’s nuclear facilities, dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, will be celebrated at the White House’s Fourth of July event on Friday, a White House official confirmed.
The event will include a flyover of B-2 Spirit bombers, F-22 Raptors, and F-35 Lightning IIs — the same aircraft used in the June 22 strikes on Iran’s Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, according to CBS News.
“President Trump looks forward to celebrating our nation’s founding on Friday in the nation’s capital,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday.
“To join in the celebration, the might of America’s Air Force will conduct a flyover featuring our state-of-the-art F-22s, B-2s, and F-35s — the same air capabilities used for the decisive and successful strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.”
The mission involved seven B-2 stealth bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri deploying 30,000-pound GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs on Iran’s underground enrichment facilities.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine said the aircraft went undetected — “part of a plan to maintain tactical surprise.” Additional personnel from Whiteman Air Force Base will also attend.
President Trump, who ordered the strikes, called the mission a resounding success.
“This was a devastating attack, and it knocked them for a loop,” Trump said days after the operation. He reiterated his stance at last week’s NATO summit in The Hague, claiming the sites were “obliterated” and calling media reports to the contrary disrespectful to the pilots.
“You should be praising those people … you’re hurting those people,” Trump said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the sentiment: “Call it destroyed, defeated, or obliterated — this was a historically successful attack.”
An initial Pentagon assessment said the strikes caused major damage but likely only delayed Iran’s program by months. Trump and Hegseth disputed that, saying the impact could last years or decades. Following a classified briefing, senators offered mixed views.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said, “There’s no doubt there was damage,” but added, “allegations that we have obliterated their program don’t seem to stand up to reason.”
Republicans, however, described the mission as a clear success.
Trump, in an interview on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo, confirmed the pilots would visit the White House, saying they are “going to come to the White House” without specifying a date. The Friday event will spotlight the pilots and the B-2 bombers’ role in the unprecedented operation.