Satellite images show B-52 bombers at the US Naval base on the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean as President Donald Trump continues to mount pressure on Iran over its nuclear program.
Two long-range strategic bombers were spotted at the US-UK military base at Diego Garcia, the largest island of the archipelago, which has been previously used as a tactical command centre for military strikes in the Middle East.
Open-source intelligence analysts, Air & Space Forces Magazine deduced from the satellite imagery that, based on the dimensions of the recently-arrived aircraft, both planes are B-52s.
The United States has ramped up its military might at the airbase, with President Trump refusing to take military action off the table as he tries to find a peaceful solution to the dispute with Iran.
The two B-52s reportedly joined a contingent of six B-2 stealth bombers, which have been stationed at Diego Garcia for weeks.
B-2 stealth bombers, designed to evade anti-aircraft defence systems, and C-17 transport aircraft were deployed to the military base in March as the US launched air attacks against Houthi forces in Yemen.
The increased buildup of military hardware on the Chagos Islands could signal preparation of a large-scale military operation in the Middle East as the US and Iran continue to be at loggerheads over the former’s nuclear ambitions.
Speaking this week at the Munich Security Conference, Vice President JD Vance claimed the two countries were “the right pathway” but reiterated fears of Iran manufacturing nuclear weapon
“We don’t care if people want nuclear power. We’re fine with that,” Vance told the conference.
“But you can’t have the kind of enrichment programme that allows you to get to a nuclear weapon. And that’s where we draw the line.”
Iran has stated that its nuclear program is for commercial purposes only and that it does not want to build nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, an Iranian official told The Telegraph in March: “The response to Trump’s threats should be action, not words – every base in the region is within range of our missiles.
“The missiles are locked and loaded, ready to target any area from which Iran could be threatened, whether from Diego Garcia or Bahrain.”