U.S. Moves B-2 Bombers as Trump Weighs Iran Strike Options
As B-2 stealth bombers soar westward and refuel over the Pacific, the U.S. signals readiness for a potential Iran strike. Trump weighs military options in high-stakes talks as Israel intensifies its offensive and Tehran vows retaliation.
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Multiple U.S. B-2 Spirit stealth bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri on Friday night (June 20) and are heading west over the Pacific, with flight-tracking data indicating they may be bound for Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, a U.S. territory. The move, reported by CNN, signals the Trump administration is positioning assets for a potential airstrike on Iran, though a U.S. defense official confirmed no attack order has been issued as of today (Saturday). Two other defense officials emphasized that the B-2 movements are intended to provide President Donald Trump with military options and serve as a show of force and deterrence while he deliberates.
The B-2 bombers are the only aircraft capable of carrying the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bomb designed to destroy heavily fortified targets like Iran’s underground Fordow uranium-enrichment facility. Each B-2 can carry two of these bombs, which experts say are critical for any potential strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24 and air traffic control audio reviewed by CNN show that on Friday night, eight U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotankers took off from Altus, Oklahoma, refueling two groups of planes over Kansas, identified by callsigns MYTEE11 FLT and MYTEE21 FLT. The MYTEE callsign has previously been linked to B-2 special activity flights, and multiple flight trackers on social media identified the planes as B-2 bombers from Whiteman. The bombers were refueled again off the coast of California and over Hawaii. Satellite imagery from last Thursday (June 19), showed six KC-135 refueling planes stationed at Diego Garcia, a remote Indian Ocean island that could support further refueling if the bombers proceed toward Iran.
A rare and formidable formation reportedly soared high above the Middle East, Israeli F-15 Strike Eagles flying alongside the American stealth bomber B-2 Spirit, with a B-52 Stratofortress trailing close behind. It was a powerful message of strength, precision, long-range reach, and readiness in a region where tensions are never far from the surface.
Meanwhile, President Trump has spent much of the past week in the Situation Room, reviewing attack plans and assessing their consequences. He indicated a two-week timeline as the “maximum” for deciding on U.S. military involvement in Iran but noted he could decide sooner. Trump is scheduled to meet with his national security team in the Oval Office on Saturday and Sunday evenings. The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a Saturday phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, stated Iran would not reduce its nuclear activities to zero “under any circumstances,” according to the government-affiliated Mehr news agency. Pezeshkian expressed readiness to “talk and cooperate” but warned of continued military retaliation against Israel. Iran has refused to halt nuclear fuel enrichment or negotiate with the U.S. unless Israel ceases its attacks, as conveyed to diplomats earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Israel intensified its campaign against Iran on Saturday, striking nuclear infrastructure in Isfahan and killing three senior Iranian military leaders, with its top general calling the conflict the most complex in Israel’s history. An Iranian drone struck a two-story building in northern Israel, in one of the first successful drone attacks acknowledged by the Israeli military since the offensive began, with no injuries reported.