Two B-52H bombers took off from Louisiana for a show-of-strength flight over the Middle East on Thursday, sending what US officials said was a clear message of deterrence aimed at Iran.
The mission by the two massive Stratofortress aircraft comes as the US military assesses there is an increased chance for actions or miscalculations by the Islamic Republic, a senior military official told NBC News.
Flying from Barksdale Air Force Base, the two hulking strategic bombers embarked on a roughly 36-hour mission that took them across Europe, through the northern Red Sea, across Saudi Arabia and into the Persian Gulf, the network reported.
The mission included a loop around Qatar, as the jets stayed closer to the western side of the Arabian Gulf and outside Iranian airspace, according to the senior US military official with knowledge of the region.
Aircraft from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar flew with the bombers during parts of the flight, the second such mission in less than a month.
The risk of miscalculation by Tehran is “higher than normal right now,” because of several factors, the official told NBC News, including the US pulling troops out of the region, the transition of power in Washington, the coronavirus pandemic, and the anniversary of the US killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani.
“It’s higher than normal right now, it doesn’t mean that they’re going to do something. But, you know, we want to ensure that if they are contemplating some sort of an aggressive act, that they would they would think twice about it before they did it,” the official told the outlet.
“Our approach right now is we recognize that there are some potentialities for Iranian miscalculations with respect to how they might behave towards the United States,” the official said, adding that the mission also was planned in part because the USS Nimitz carrier strike group had been scheduled to depart from the area.
“We’re trying to just ensure that if the Iranians do think they have a plan that’s executable, that they think twice before executing it, because they do see that we have a robust posture and presence still remaining in the region that could respond to any provocation should it occur,” the official said.
The long-range heavy bombers are capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapon.
“The ability to fly strategic bombers halfway across the world in a non-stop mission and to rapidly integrate them with multiple regional partners demonstrates our close working relationships and our shared commitment to regional security and stability,” Gen. Frank McKenzie, the top US commander for the Middle East, said in a statement.
Concerns about trouble from Tehran have been compounded by fears that Iran may strike out at the US or allies in retaliation for the assassination of nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.
Iran has blamed the attack on Israel, Jerusalem has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility.
“We do not seek conflict,” McKenzie said, “but we must remain postured and committed to respond to any contingency or in opposition to any aggression.”
With Post wires
