US deploys B-52 strategic bombers to region amid escalating tensions

Shafaq News/ The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced, on Sunday, that “B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers from Minot Air Force Base's 5th Bomb Wing arrived in the US Central Command area of responsibility.”

The deployment follows Friday’s announcement from the US Department of Defense, which revealed that “additional military capabilities would be introduced to the region in the coming months as a deterrent to Iran and in support of Israel.”

The Pentagon emphasized that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has repeatedly warned that if Iran, its partners, or affiliated groups seize this moment to target US personnel or interests, the United States “will take all necessary measures to defend our people.”

This new deployment includes advanced missile defense systems, fighter jets, B-52 bombers, and other military assets, enhancing the US defensive posture in the region.

Israel, a close US ally, has been engaged in escalating tensions with Iran and its regional proxies since the outbreak of the war in Gaza on October 7, 2023. In addition to facing Hamas, Israel has confronted threats from Hezbollah along its northern border.

In late October, Israel launched strikes on military sites in Iran in response to an Iranian missile attack targeting Israel on October 1.

Yesterday, Brigadier General Ali Fadavi, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Brigadier General affirmed that the Iranian retaliation on the latest Israeli attack is “inevitable.”