US Flies B-52s as ‘Show of Force’ Against Iran

Regional flyovers increasingly common as tensions rise

Exemplifying US hostility toward Iran, America carries out B-52 overflights of the region with increased regularity, often twice a month. The US Central Command issued a statement confirming another such overflight this weekend.

As with previous cases, officials are calling it an “observable” show of military power, aimed explicitly at Iran. Today’s bombers flew out of Minot, North Dakota, making the long flight to Iran to prove a point about US hostility.

Officials did not say how many B-52s took part in this particular overflight, but past ones usually involved two. The bombers have an extreme amount of range, and have to fly a long route indeed to reach a potential target.

The impact of such flights is no doubt less because they keep happening just a week or two after another. This can only be seen as a continuation of Trump’s Iran policy, as Iran hopes for better prospects with Biden.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.