The conflict between Iran and Israel is intensifying fast — and now, the U.S. is stepping in.
The U.S. military has deployed B-2 stealth bombers from Missouri to the Pacific island of Guam, according to two American officials who spoke to Reuters on Saturday. These long-range bombers are capable of carrying over 40,000 pounds of conventional or nuclear weapons and can fly more than 6,000 nautical miles without refueling.
The New York Times reports the aircraft took off from Whiteman Air Force Base and are being accompanied by refueling tankers, based on air traffic control recordings. The White House has not yet confirmed the deployment.
This show of force comes as Israel launched fresh airstrikes on southern Iran. According to the Israeli military, its forces are “currently striking UAV storage facilities and a weapons facility in southwestern Iran in the area of Bandar Abbas.” The statement was reported by Agence France-Presse.
Iranian state-run Tasnim news agency said air defense systems were activated in Bandar Abbas and Bandar Lengeh. Iranian forces responded after “detecting Israeli enemy aircraft,” the report said.
In response, Iran launched a new swarm of drones targeting Israel. The situation marks a sharp escalation in the conflict, which has already drawn in outside powers and shows no sign of cooling down.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that Tehran could strike back harder if Israel continues its attacks. “More devastating responses are on the table if the Zionist regime continues its aggression,” he said, according to AFP.
Pezeshkian also doubled down on Iran’s nuclear program. “Our peaceful nuclear activities will not be halted under any circumstances,” he said. He added that Iran’s right to pursue civilian nuclear development “cannot be taken away… by threats or war.”
Iran continues to deny any plans to develop a nuclear weapon.
With Israel hitting deeper into Iranian territory, Tehran launching drones in retaliation, and the U.S. deploying nuclear-capable bombers to the region, the conflict is now at one of its most dangerous points in years.
