Sources say up to six B-2s moved to the Indian Ocean base Sources say up to six B-2s moved to the Indian Ocean base
**US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reinforced American military capability in the Middle East with additional warplanes, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday, amid an ongoing US bombing campaign in Yemen and escalating tensions with Iran.**
The Pentagon’s brief statement did not specify which aircraft were being deployed or their precise destination. However, US officials speaking on condition of anonymity revealed that as many as six B-2 bombers have been relocated to a US-British military base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean within the past week.
Military experts note that this positioning places the B-2 bombers, which feature stealth technology and can carry the heaviest US bombs including nuclear weapons, in an ideal location to conduct operations across the Middle East.
“Should Iran or its proxies threaten American personnel and interests in the region, the United States will take decisive action to defend our people,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated.
The US military’s Strategic Command has declined to confirm how many B-2s have reached Diego Garcia, noting that it does not comment on exercises or operations involving these aircraft.
Significant American military firepower is already present in the Middle East, with the US military soon expected to have two aircraft carriers stationed in the region.
US President Donald Trump threatened Iran on Sunday with bombing and secondary tariffs if Tehran failed to reach an agreement with Washington regarding its nuclear programme.
While B-2 bombers have been used to strike buried Houthi targets in Yemen, most experts consider this application excessive, as the targets are not deeply buried. However, the B-2 is equipped to deliver America’s most powerful conventional weapon—the 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator—which experts suggest could potentially be employed against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
With only 20 B-2 bombers in the Air Force’s inventory, these aircraft are typically deployed sparingly.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded on Monday by warning that the US would receive a “strong blow” if Trump followed through with his threats. Revolutionary Guards Aerospace Commander Amirali Hajizadeh also issued warnings to US forces in the Middle East, stating: “They are in a glass house and should not throw stones.”
One official told Reuters that the US military was additionally relocating some air defence capabilities from Asia to the Middle East.
During his 2017-2021 term, Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers that placed strict limits on Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump also reimposed comprehensive US sanctions.
Since then, Iran has significantly exceeded the deal’s limits on uranium enrichment.
Western powers accuse Iran of pursuing a clandestine agenda to develop nuclear weapons capability by enriching uranium to high levels of fissile purity, beyond what they consider justifiable for a civilian atomic energy programme. Tehran maintains that its nuclear programme is solely intended for civilian energy purposes.