US Military Announces Deployment of Additional Aircraft to the Middle East
Pentagon orders extra warplanes amid rising tensions with Iran and ongoing operations in Yemen.
The Pentagon announced today that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the deployment of additional warplanes to bolster U.S. maritime assets in the Middle East, coinciding with ongoing airstrikes in Yemen and escalating tensions between the United States and Iran.
The brief statement did not specify the types of aircraft involved.
However, U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that at least four B-2 bombers have been relocated to a U.S.-British military base on Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean, a strategic distance from both Yemen and Iran.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Barnil stated, 'The United States and its partners remain committed to regional security within the area of responsibility of U.S. Central Command and are prepared to respond to any actors, whether state or non-state, that seek to escalate tensions in the region.' Barnil further emphasized that Defense Secretary Hegseth continues to affirm that should Iran or its proxies threaten American personnel and interests in the region, the United States will take decisive actions to protect its citizens.
U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility includes parts of North Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South Asia.
The B-2 bombers are capable of carrying nuclear weapons, with only 20 of such aircraft in the U.S. Air Force fleet, which are typically used sparingly.
In October, the previous Biden administration deployed these bombers in operations against the Houthi group in Yemen.
The brief statement did not specify the types of aircraft involved.
However, U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that at least four B-2 bombers have been relocated to a U.S.-British military base on Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean, a strategic distance from both Yemen and Iran.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Barnil stated, 'The United States and its partners remain committed to regional security within the area of responsibility of U.S. Central Command and are prepared to respond to any actors, whether state or non-state, that seek to escalate tensions in the region.' Barnil further emphasized that Defense Secretary Hegseth continues to affirm that should Iran or its proxies threaten American personnel and interests in the region, the United States will take decisive actions to protect its citizens.
U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility includes parts of North Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South Asia.
The B-2 bombers are capable of carrying nuclear weapons, with only 20 of such aircraft in the U.S. Air Force fleet, which are typically used sparingly.
In October, the previous Biden administration deployed these bombers in operations against the Houthi group in Yemen.
