Washington, June 21: The United States has deployed B-2 stealth bombers to the Pacific region from their base in Missouri, a move that signals Washington is positioning key assets for potential use in a strike on Iran, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
The long-range bombers are capable of carrying the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 30,000-pound conventional bunker-buster weapon that analysts say is among the few capable of penetrating Iran’s heavily fortified Fordow uranium-enrichment facility.
President Donald Trump is still deliberating over whether to join Israel’s expanding military campaign against Iran, and has said he would make a decision “within two weeks.” People familiar with the matter said Trump previously approved military options but has held off to see whether Iran will abandon its nuclear enrichment program.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military continued its air strikes on Iranian targets on Saturday, killing three senior Iranian military commanders and striking the nuclear facility in Isfahan. Israel’s top general has warned that the conflict could be protracted, describing it as the most complex military campaign in the nation’s history.
Iran has responded defiantly, ruling out any halt to its nuclear fuel enrichment and refusing to enter negotiations with the United States unless Israeli attacks cease. The crisis has triggered international concern, with foreign ministers from Muslim-majority countries expected to push for a cease-fire during a summit in Istanbul this weekend.
In parallel with the bomber deployment, the Pentagon has bolstered U.S. naval presence in the region. A third U.S. Navy destroyer has entered the eastern Mediterranean Sea, while a second aircraft carrier strike group is en route to the Arabian Sea. U.S. defense officials have described the moves as defensive in nature, aimed at deterring further escalation.
The latest developments come amid fears that the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict could draw in regional and global powers, significantly raising the stakes for stability in the Middle East.
