US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Saturday that B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers from Minot Air Force Base's 5th Bomb Wing had arrived in the Middle East.
CENTCOM’s announcement came a day after the Pentagon stated that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin would be sending bomber aircraft, fighter jets and more Navy warships to the Middle East to bolster the US presence in the region.
Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder said that Austin ordered, in addition to the B-52 Stratofortress bomber aircraft, a squadron of fighter jets, tanker aircraft and Navy destroyers. He said they will begin arriving in the region in coming months, as the USS Abraham Lincoln begins to head home.
The move comes amid reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has instructed the Supreme National Security Council to prepare for an attack on Israel.
According to a report in The New York Times this past Thursday, Khamenei decided to attack after he reviewed a detailed report from senior military commanders on the extent of damage to Iran’s missile production capabilities and air defense systems around Tehran, critical energy infrastructure, and a main port in the south.
On Wednesday, a high-ranking source told CNN that Iran will attack Israel again soon, likely before the US presidential election next Tuesday.
According to the source, Iran's retaliation for Israel's air strikes on its military targets last week will be significant.
An Israeli military source told CNN on Thursday that Israel is at a “high level of readiness” for a response from Iran.
The source added, however, that they are “still assessing the decision-making process in Iran” to determine if and when a retaliation will take place.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke on Thursday with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and “reaffirmed that the United States remains fully prepared to defend US personnel, Israel, and partners across the region against threats from Iran and Iran-backed proxy groups,” said the Pentagon.