Overview

• Operation Midnight Hammer dispatched seven B-2 stealth bombers with fighter escorts to hit Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites on June 21–22.
• Pentagon officials reported the strike succeeded without any return fire, underscoring the mission’s precision and stealth capabilities.
• During a June 22 briefing, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth referred to the aircrews as “our boys on those bombers.”
• The New York Times criticized the remark as sexist for failing to acknowledge the ten publicly known female B-2 pilots, prompting debate over media focus.
• Right-leaning outlets and social media users defended Hegseth’s wording as colloquial and highlighted the strike’s strategic success.