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The US sends a B-52 Stratofortress bomber to the Middle East as Iran threatens

B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers have arrived in the Middle East after being deployed by the United States, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said in an X/Twitter post late Saturday evening.

According to the post, the B-52 bombers arrived in the CENTCOM area of ​​responsibility, which includes the Middle East region, and were dispatched from the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base.

According to the US Air Force, the B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range heavy bomber capable of carrying out various missions.

Additionally, the U.S. Air Force said the B-52 is capable of flying at “high subsonic speeds” and carrying “nuclear or precision-guided conventional warfare assets with global precision navigation capability.”

“In a conventional conflict, the B-52 can conduct strategic strike, close air support, air defense, offensive air defense and maritime operations,” the US Air Force added.

A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bomber, manufactured by Boeing Co., at an air base in Cheongju, South Korea, on Thursday, October 19, 2023 (Credit: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The timing of the B-52 bombers' arrival in the region comes as Israel prepares for an expected Iranian attack in response to Israel's attack on missile production facilities in the Islamic Republic last week.

Iran announces “devastating response”.

Iran's Supreme Leader Sayyid Ali Khamenei promised a “devastating response” to the US and Israel for “what they are doing against #Iran and the #Resistance Front” in an X post on Saturday evening.

The arrival of the B-52 bombers came after the United States said Friday that it would deploy B-52 bombers, fighter jets, tankers, ballistic missile destroyers and Navy destroyers to the Middle East.

The Pentagon said on Friday that the deployment would take place in the coming months.

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“Should Iran, its partners or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take all necessary measures to defend our people,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. said of the Air Force, Patrick Ryder, in a statement.

How does the B-52 Stratofortress work?

According to the US Air Force, the B-52s can be equipped with electro-optical vision sensors to improve targeting accuracy and combat capability.

Pilots operating the bombers wear night vision goggles during night missions. Additionally, the B-52s are reportedly effective for maritime surveillance and have the ability to “monitor 140,000 square miles (364,000 square kilometers) of the ocean surface,” the U.S. Air Force noted.

During Desert Storm, B-52s delivered 40 percent of all weapons dropped by coalition forces, the U.S. Air Force added.

Tovah Lazaroff and Reuters contributed to this report.



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