Pentagon deploys more B-52 bombers to Middle East in warning to Iran
The United States sent another B-52 bomber over the Middle East this week – the third sortie this month – after the aircraft carrier USS Truman returned to the Red Sea.
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon sent another US Air Force B-52 bomber over the Middle East this week as the Trump administration seeks to coerce Iran's leaders into negotiations in a bid to halt Tehran’s nuclear enrichment.
The B-52 bomber task-force mission was the third in less than three weeks and comes as the aircraft carrier USS Truman returned to the Red Sea after a brief hiatus in the Mediterranean.
The Truman passed through the Suez Canal last week after undergoing repairs in Souda Bay, Greece, after colliding with a commercial bulk tanker near the canal’s north entrance last month. The latest bomber overflight, which has not been announced by the US military but was confirmed to Al-Monitor by a US defense official, was first reported by Al Arabiya.
Why it matters: The United States is ramping up its strategic strike capabilities in the region in a show of force in tandem with regional militaries. Israeli warplanes escorted the latest B-52 mission in an unsubtle signal to Iranian policymakers.
