B-52 bombers land in Middle East: US military
WASHINGTON—American B-52 bombers have arrived in the Middle East, the US military said on Saturday, in a warning to Iran.
“B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers from Minot Air Force Base’s 5th Bomb Wing arrived in the US Central Command area of responsibility,” the military command for the Middle East and surrounding countries said in a post on social media.
The United States announced on Friday evening that it was sending the bombers, fighter and tanker aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the Middle East.
“Should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every measure necessary to defend our people,” Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement on the deployment.
Critical sites
Israel launched strikes against Iran on Oct. 26, hitting military infrastructure while steering clear of critical nuclear and oil sites, and the country’s supreme leader has vowed that Tehran will retaliate for Israeli attacks.
Iran has carried out two major attacks against Israel in 2024—one in April after a strike on its consulate in Damascus that was blamed on Israel, and another in October that Tehran said was in response to the assassination of leaders of armed groups it backs in the Middle East.
Iran’s supreme leader on Saturday vowed retaliation for attacks by Israel as a pro-Iran coalition in Iraq claimed a drone strike on the Israeli resort of Eilat.
Days before the presidential election in Israel’s main military supplier the United States, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Iran’s response would cover attacks on both the Islamic republic and its allies.
Israel’s military said it intercepted three drones over the Red Sea, after late Friday reporting seven drones launched from “several fronts.” The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for four drone strikes on Eilat.
‘Apocalyptic’
On Saturday, Israel again carried out deadly airstrikes on north Gaza, where the United Nations calls conditions “apocalyptic,” and Hezbollah intensified rocket fire around Israel’s commercial hub of Tel Aviv.
“The enemies, both the USA and the Zionist regime, should know that they will definitely receive a tooth-breaking response,” Khamenei said, referring to Iran-aligned groups including those in Yemen and Syria.
On Oct. 26, Israel bombed military sites in Iran, killing four servicemen, in response to an Oct. 1 barrage of about 200 missiles that Tehran called a reprisal.
