The United States deployed a B-1 long-range bomber to strike Iran on Tuesday, in a significant escalation of its attacks since the renewal of the conflict twelve days ago, sources told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
The first strike using the bomber was conducted on Tuesday.
An Axios report published earlier on Thursday noted the deployed B-1 began its mission from a base in the United Kingdom. Its movements were tracked online via plane-tracking websites, but its exact target is unknown. This comes shortly after Bloomberg News reported that newly sworn-in British Prime Minister Andy Burnham approved the use of British bases for attacks by the United States against Iran.
Using B-1 bombers, which can carry two dozen 2,000-lb. bombs or dozens of cruise missiles, signaled a significant escalation and expansion of the US military campaign, per Axios.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) did not mention the B-1 fighter in a statement regarding overnight strikes against Iran.
The US conducted several B-1 missions between February and April during Operation Epic Fury, hitting missile bases, command centers, weapons storage facilities, and air defense systems. CENTCOM confirmed this in early March, with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warning “B-2s, B-52s, B-1s, Predator drones, [and fighter jets] controlling the skies and selecting targets” could become the new normal for Iran.
Trump vows to destroy Iranian infrastructure in response to Hormuz aggression
The latest report of B-1 fighter use follows a Wall Street Journal report that US President Donald Trump is considering expanding attacks on Iran, with fighter jets positioned across the Middle East and bombers placed on high alert.
Earlier on Wednesday, Trump threatened that the US will strike Iranian bridges and power plants in retaliation for every time Iran fires on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
"The US will bomb and destroy one bridge or power plant, including those located next to, or in, the capital city of Tehran," Trump said.
This will happen "from this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz," he stated.
Tobias Holcman, Leo Feierberg Better, and James Genn contributed to this report.