the United States Air Force USAF is sending six b-52h stratofortress strategic bombers to
the island of Diego Garcia located in the central Indian Ocean citing an unnamed US
official u.s. military news said that six b-52s will be available for operations against Iran if
ordered their deployment however does not signal that military operations have been ordered the US
Department of Defense DoD did not officially confirm the dispatch of the Bombers citing
operational security concerns Diego Garcia is located more than 4,800 kilometers or 3,000 miles
from the southern edge of Iran which would put the u.s. air base on the island out of range of
medium-range ballistic missiles launched from Iran the USAF currently operates 58 b-52h long-range
heavy strategic bombers the b-52 H is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes
of up to 50,000 feet that's fifteen thousand one hundred sixty six point six meters and can carry
nuclear cruise missiles and a conventional payload of up to 70,000 pounds or thirty 1500 kilograms
under the 2010 new strategic arms reduction treaty 41 b-52 ages have been denuclearized
the denuclearized variant of the b-52h carries jsm agm-158 be joint
air-to-surface standoff missile and Jas SM er extended range long-range radar
evading cruise missiles whereas nuclear capable bombers carry
the nuclear-tipped agm-86 air-launched cruise missile as explained previously
the USAF pasal operates b-52 H's out of Anderson Air Force Base on Guam in the western Pacific b-52
ages from Guam have conducted numerous patrols over the East and South China Seas and 2019 b-52h
bomber flights involving the East China and South China Seas are routinely criticized by China which
claims territory in both waters USAF b-52h bomber units have been deployed to Guam on a rotational
basis since January 2018 following a 17 month break as part of u.s. Indo Pacific command's
continuous bomber presence in the region USAF has been routinely stationing b-1b b-52h and b-2
spirit bombers at Andersen Air Force Base since 2004 military and diplomatic tensions between
the United States and Iran have been heating up in recent days Iran launched over a dozen ballistic
missiles against two air bases hosting US troops in Iraq overnight declaring that the strikes were
in retaliation for leg sweeps killing of Iranian general Kassim sulemani Foreign Minister Mohammad
Javad Zarif said in a message on social media last night Iran took and concluded proportionate
measures in self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed
attack against our citizens and senior officials were launched we do not seek escalation or war but
we'll defend ourselves against any aggression US President Donald Trump is expected to address the
American public on the ongoing current crisis later today as long as I'm President of the
United States Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon several nuclear capable b-52s are
heading to the region along with an aircraft carrier task force following what the Defense
Department called recent and clear indications that Iranian and Iranian proxy forces were making
preparations to possibly attack US forces the deployment of USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike
Group and a bomber task force are considered a prudent step in response to indications of
heightened Iranian readiness to conduct offensive operations against US forces and our interests
said acting Pentagon spokesman Charles summers in a statement we emphasize the White House statement
that we do not seek war with the Iranian regime but we will defend US personnel our allies and our
interests in the region the deployment was first announced late Sunday by John Bolton President
Donald Trump's national security adviser who said the move was a clear and unmistakable message to
the Iranian regime that any attack on the United States interests or on those of our allies will be
met with unrelenting force the u.s. move comes in response to intelligence about a threat for
castrated by Iran officials said but details of the threat of not been disclosed Navy captain
bill urban the spokesman for the US military Central Command which spans the Middle East said
the threat could be land-based or maritime he said the Lincoln Strike Group was already scheduled to
head to the region on long planned deployment but that its arrival in the Gulf has been accelerated
due to the threat that led to the cancellation of a planned port visit by the Lincoln to split
Croatia the multinational carrier group including several ships multiple types of aircraft and 6,000
personnel will be deployed where we'll be best able to protect US forces and interests in the
region and to deter any aggression the deployment comes a year after Trump pulled the United States
out of a multinational Accord under which Tehran drastically scaled back its sensitive nuclear
Network since then the Trump administration has ramped up menacing rhetoric against Iran while
tightening economic sanctions on the country the u.s. military previously had sent a bomber
task force to Qatar in May but the bombers left after a few months a US defense official said
on Monday defense secretary mark asper and general mark Milley the chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff attempted to quell confusion about a letter circulating from
the US military telling Iraq that it would withdraw troops from the region a day after
Iraqi lawmakers approved a resolution calling to expel US troops from the country both asper
and milli called the unsigned letter a mistake and said the US had no intention of withdrawing
troops from the Middle East as tensions ramped up the American people should be extremely
grateful and happy no Americans were harmed in last night's attack by the Iranian regime
we suffered no casualties all of our soldiers are safe and only minimal damage was sustained at
our military bases our great American forces are prepared for anything Iran appears to be standing
down which is a good thing for all parties concerned and a very good thing for the world
Iran has been the leading sponsor of terrorism and their pursuit of nuclear weapons threatens
the civilized world we will never let that happen last week we took decisive
action to stop a ruthless terrorists from threatening American lives at my direction
the United States military eliminated the world's top terrorist Qasim soleimani
as the head of the cuts force soleimani was personally responsible for some
of the absolutely worst atrocities trained terrorists armies including
Hezbollah launching terrorist strikes against civilian targets