The United States has deployed B-1 strategic bombers to strike Iran, a significant escalation of its military campaign since the conflict resumed 12 days ago, sources told The Jerusalem Post.
According to the information, the first strike with the B-1 was carried out on Tuesday. Axios earlier reported that the plane took off from a US base in the UK. Its flight was tracked by public air traffic control sites, but its final destination was unknown.
The B-1's deployment comes shortly after a Bloomberg News report said new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had approved the use of British bases for US operations against Iran.
The use of the B-1, which can carry up to 24 2,000-pound bombs or dozens of cruise missiles, signals an expansion of US action against Tehran, Axios noted. In an official statement about the latest nighttime strikes, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) did not mention the involvement of this type of bomber.
Between February and April, US forces had already used the B-1 as part of Operation Epic Fury, which targeted missile bases, command centers, weapons depots and air defense systems. In early March, CENTCOM confirmed the operation, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that "B-2s, B-52s, B-1s, Predator drones and fighter jets controlling the skies and selecting targets" could become a permanent element of the pressure on Iran.
The reports of the B-1 use coincide with information from the Wall Street Journal that President Donald Trump is considering expanding military action against Iran. According to the publication, American fighter jets are already deployed to the Middle East, and bombers are on high alert.
On Wednesday, Trump warned that the United States would respond to any attack on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. "The United States will bomb and destroy a bridge or a power plant, including those located near or in the capital, Tehran," he said. This will happen "from this moment forward, every time the Islamic Republic of Iran fires on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz," the president added.