US Deploys B-52 Bombers Over Gulf to Pressure Iran Amid Tensions and Talks with Russia

February 19, 2025
US Deploys B-52 Bombers Over Gulf to Pressure Iran Amid Tensions and Talks with Russia
  • 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.

Summary based on 1 source


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Pentagon sends B-52 bombers over Middle East as US aims to pressure Iran

AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012 • Feb 18, 2025

Pentagon sends B-52 bombers over Middle East as US aims to pressure Iran

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