US confirms B-2 deployment to Indian Ocean as Yemen, Iran tensions flare
The US military has deployed long range bombers at a strategic Indian Ocean airbase, a spokesperson told Iran International, as Washington ramps up rhetoric against Iran and continues a bombing campaign on Houthi fighters in Yemen.
"B-2 Spirit bombers have arrived at Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia," a US Strategic Command spokesperson said, referring to the strategic British territory.
The military grouping and its units "routinely conduct global operations ... to deter, detect and, if necessary, defeat strategic attacks against the United States and its allies," the spokesperson added, saying it does not comment on specific actions.
US President Donald Trump has demanded Tehran come to a deal over its nuclear program or face a military intervention and warned any attack by the Houthis would be treated as emanating from Iran.
Top Iranian leaders have rejected the ultimatum and deny seeking nuclear arms. US director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Tuesday the US intelligence community assesses Iran is not building nuclear weapons.
A joint UK-US military base at Diego Garcia has previously been used to launch US strikes on the Middle East including Iraq and Afghanistan, with the deployment suggesting the potential for large-scale air operations in the region.
The US military deployed the B-2 stealth bombers along with C-17 cargo planes and 10 aerial refueling tankers in the last two days, defense industry outlet The War Zone reported on Wednesday citing satellite imagery.
Flight tracking data and satellite imagery analyzed by open-source intelligence analysts suggest the arrival or transit of at least five B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, capable of carrying the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) – a 30,000-pound bunker-buster bomb and the 20,000-pound Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) or "Mother of All Bombs."
C-17 cargo planes are capable of transporting personnel, equipment and munitions while the refueling tankers enable sustained long-range air operations.
In October, the United States used B-2 stealth bombers for strikes on Houthi underground weapons facilities in Yemen for the first time.
President Trump reportedly issued a two-month deadline to Iran, via the United Arab Emirates, to agree to a new nuclear arrangement, vowing military consequences should Tehran fail to comply.
The report of the deployment came hours after Iran unveiled what it termed a new missile city, run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Iranian state media reported the display of various domestically produced missiles, including long-range ballistic types, with Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri vowing enhanced missile capabilities in the future.