US Deploys B-2 Bombers to Key Base Near Yemen and Iran

WASHINGTON: The United States has stationed B-2 bombers at a military facility on Diego Garcia, an island in the Indian Ocean, to bolster its airpower near Yemen and Iran amid rising tensions and ongoing military operations in the region, the Pentagon confirmed on Wednesday.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the decision to send additional aircraft to enhance the Pentagon’s naval capabilities in the Middle East.

While the Pentagon’s statement did not specify which aircraft have been deployed, U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, reported that at least four B-2 bombers have been moved to the U.S.-British military base on Diego Garcia, which is strategically located close enough to target Yemen or Iran, according to experts.

“The U.S. and its allies remain dedicated to ensuring security in the CENTCOM (Central Command) area and are ready to respond to any state or non-state entity attempting to escalate tensions in the region,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated in the announcement.

“Secretary Hegseth has made it clear that if Iran or its proxies pose a threat to American personnel and interests, the United States will take significant measures to safeguard our people,” he added.

CENTCOM refers to the U.S. Central Command, which encompasses a vast area stretching from northeastern Africa through the Middle East to Central and South Asia.

Equipped to carry nuclear weapons, B-2 bombers are limited in number, with only 20 available in the Air Force. They are typically deployed only in critical situations. In October, the Biden administration utilized the bombers in its military operations against the Houthis in Yemen.