US Central Command confirmed that F-15s and fighter jets from four unnamed countries provided escort for the B-52s during this mission.

This recent B-52 mission followed the US Air Force's Agile Spartan exercise, which involved multiple regional militaries and aimed to enhance resilience against missile attacks from Iran or other adversaries.

The Biden administration has previously conducted similar B-52 overflights to demonstrate Tehran's isolation among its neighbors and bolster regional security.

The timing of the B-52 overflight coincided with US diplomatic talks with Russia in Saudi Arabia, where both nations agreed to restore diplomatic ties and address the situation in Ukraine.

On February 17, 2025, the US Air Force deployed B-52 strategic bombers over the Gulf region as part of a military show of force aimed at pressuring Iran.

This deployment came in the wake of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier's collision with a commercial vessel near Egypt, marking the third time since the onset of the Israel-Gaza war in 2023 that the Middle East has been without a US aircraft carrier.

The bombers, launched from the UK's Royal Air Force Fairford, conducted midair refueling and live munitions drops while flying over the airspace of nine Middle Eastern countries.

US military operations in the region are complicated by regional allies' restrictions on using their bases for strikes, highlighting the delicate nature of US-Middle East relationships.

Elbridge Colby, nominated as the Pentagon's policy chief, has advocated for a reduced US military presence in the Middle East to focus on the threat from China, raising concerns about US attention to Iran's nuclear advancements.

Despite ramping up uranium enrichment, US intelligence assesses that Iran has not yet decided to weaponize its stockpiles, although the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has showcased new precision-guided drones.

Iran's military capacity has been weakened due to Israeli airstrikes that targeted Hezbollah and damaged Iran's air defense systems in late 2024.

The B-52 flights are reminiscent of previous US attempts to intimidate Iranian leadership into negotiations following the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal in 2018.