Satellite Images Show US B-52 Bombers Deployed Near Iran
Newsweek contacted U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) for comment.
The United States is significantly bolstering its military presence at Diego Garcia airbase in the Indian Ocean, as it escalates pressure on Iran amid tensions over its nuclear program.
President Donald Trump has said he would prefer a peaceful resolution of the nuclear dispute, but has threatened military action if it proves impossible to reach an agreement.
B-52 bombers have arrived at the remote Indian Ocean outpost of Diego Garcia, joining a contingent of six B-2 stealth bombers already deployed there for weeks, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine, a military-specialized publication, and open-source intelligence analysts.
The measurements of the aircraft shown by the satellite image captured Wednesday and first spotted by open-source intelligence researcher MT Anderson on X, are consistent with the dimensions of the B-52 bomber.
B-2 stealth bombers and C-17 transport aircraft were deployed to the remote Indian Ocean base in March, following the launch of a U.S. air campaign against Houthi forces in Yemen that was halted on Tuesday.
The increased U.S. military buildup signals heightened readiness for potential large-scale air operations in the region after multiple threats to Iran by the Trump administration over its nuclear ambitions. Nuclear talks are ongoing, but Trump has warned of "great danger" to the Islamic Republic if talks fail.
Tehran says that its nuclear program is for commercial purposes only and that it does not want to build nuclear weapons, but an adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has said that Iran "will have no choice" but to seek nuclear weapons if attacked.
Diego Garcia, a U.S. military outpost on British territory located over 2,000 miles from Iran, has drawn renewed strategic focus as tensions with Tehran escalate. Iranian media have also previously highlighted the remote base as a potential target in the event of conflict.
Air Force deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence Lt. General Andrew J. Gebara in congressional hearing, Wednesday, as quoted by Air & Space Forces Magazine: "There's a Bomber Task Force of B-52s going on as we speak."
Iranian official told The Telegraph in March: "The response to Trump's threats should be action, not words - every base in the region is within range of our missiles. The missiles are locked and loaded, ready to target any area from which Iran could be threatened, whether from Diego Garcia or Bahrain."
As the date for the next U.S.-Iran nuclear talks is yet to be determined, Washington is stepping up its strategic posture to reinforce its readiness for whatever action might be needed.
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