The United States has deployed six stealth B-2 bombers at Diego Garcia, which is a joint US-British base located 3,900 kilometres from Iran’s southern coast. The deployment comes amid rising tensions with Iran and Houthis.
US deploys B-2 stealth bombers: In what comes as a massive show of force, the Pentagon has made the largest-ever deployment of at least 6 B-2 bombers in the Indian Ocean, CNN reports. The deployment has been made at the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia amid tensions with Iran and Houthis in the Middle East. Satellite images show the B-2s, which cost approximately USD 2 billion apiece, stationed on the tarmac of the airbase. Along with the bombers, tankers and cargo ships are also at Diego Garcia, which is a joint US-British base located 3,900 kilometres from Iran’s southern coast.
Here’s what Pentagon said
While the United States refrained from directly acknowledging the deployment, it emphasised that the latest move will improve “America’s defensive posture in the region”. The Pentagon further said that it, along with its partners, “remains committed to regional security,” adding that it is prepared to respond to any state or non-state actor seeking to broaden or escalate conflict in the region.”
According to AP, the US initially built 21 B-2 bombers, but one was destroyed in a crash in 2008 and another was retired after being damaged in a 2022 crash.
Some media reports quote former Australian Air Force pilot and military aviation analyst Peter Layton as saying that “six is a serious number”, as for “Houthi buried targets, two or maybe three” might be enough “but six B-2s is a major effort.”
While the US has not pointed out any country specifically, experts are of the view that the deployment has come amidst tensions with Iran and the US’s latest offensive against the Houthis.
Trump warned Houthis, its backers in Iran
Earlier, US President Donald Trump warned Houthis and their backers in Iran in a social media post saying, “Stop shooting at US ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come for both the Houthis and their sponsors in Iran.”
Trump also threatened Iran with bombings if it fails to agree on a deal over its nuclear programme with Washington.
