US Stealth Bombers Land at UK Bases for “The Big One”
The US Air Force’s stealth bombers are expected to arrive at British bases within hours, suggesting that Donald Trump’s massive attack on Iran that he dubbed the “big one” is imminent. The Mail has more.
America’s stealth air fleet including its B-1s, B-2s and B-52s are said to be on their way to Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.
The strategic bombers, costing up to $2 billion each, can carry out long-range missions without detection while carrying the world’s most devastating missiles.
Sources have suggested that Saturday could be D-day for a new gigantic bombardment – exactly a week after America and Israel first attacked Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury.
The US President warned Iran this week that the “big one” was coming, adding: “We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave has not even happened.”
And US War Secretary Pete Hegseth said overnight that America will now use British RAF bases to “dramatically” up its strikes on Iran after the Prime Minister allowed the Americans to launch defensive strikes from UK-US bases.
“When we say more to come, it’s more fighter squadrons, it’s more capabilities, it’s more defensive capabilities, and it’s more bomber pulses more frequently,” Hegseth said.
After a delay that saw Trump claim that Sir Keir Starmer was “unhelpful” and is “no Winston Churchill”, the UK is now letting the US use British bases for “defensive” strikes against missile facilities in Iran.
Experts believe some American bombers could drop the ‘Mother of All Bombs’, a 10-tonne explosive that creates 1,000 ft holes in the ground, taking out tunnels and bunkers while simultaneously pulling infrastructures such as bridges down into the giant crater. …
Sascha Bruchmann, a Research Fellow for Defence at the office of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in Bahrain, told the Daily Telegraph: “The big one is a sustained bombing campaign via the strategic bomber fleet, so the B-1s, the B-2s and the B-52s.
“Last night, Centcom [US Central Command] said there was one B-1 bomber, and the night before there were four B-2s, who dropped heavier payloads, so 1,000 to 2,000lb bombs with some bunker-busting capabilities against those missile sites.
“Now that there’s air dominance achieved, and we’ve seen US Reaper drones over cities, which you wouldn’t have if there were some kind of air defences.”
‘Russia is providing Iran with targeting information to attack American forces in the Middle East, the first indication that another major U.S. adversary is participating — even indirectly — in the war, according to three officials familiar with the intelligence.
The assistance, which has not been previously reported, signals that the rapidly expanding conflict now features one of America’s chief nuclear-armed competitors with exquisite intelligence capabilities.
Since the war began Saturday, Russia has passed Iran the locations of U.S. military assets, including warships and aircraft…’
Thus it ever was. Russia has been supply military equipment to the Houthis that have then attacked shipping in international waters and Israel. The excalaion has happened and that has been the response from Israel and the US to being attacked.
Russia is doing for Iran what America does for Ukraine – providing targeting data for Iran’s missile strikes. Just the last day or two, Iran has destroyed several ground based US radars in nearby Gulf states. Has it been reported by the BBC? Nope.
MajorMajor
1 month ago
Excuse my ignorance, but if Iran has no air defence left, why does the US still need stealth bombers?
The B52 is not a stealth bomber (was used in Vietnam) and air dominance has now allowed it to be used in this theatre. The B1 has some stealth capabilities but it’s main attribute is it’s speed. The B2 is the main stealth bomber of the US and is very capable.
We night-stopped Anderson (Guam AFB) in ’71 on a Global trip in the VC10. Watching a fully loaded B52 lurch off the end of the 600ft elevated runway, whilst belching burnt aviation fumes was quite a sight to behold.
Russia is providing Iran with early warning and likely location of air strikes.
Iran still has mobile ICBM launchers.
Iran has enough enriched uranium to make a small nuclear warhead.
The best way to prevent a nuclear war will be to take out any remaining mobile launchers (and ICBMs, associated infrastructure).
Stealth, given Russia’s capable surveillance assistance to Iran, remains the best option for surprise strikes on any remaining Iranian offensive capability, command and control…
Meanwhile, Starmer wants a ‘pragmatic’ relationship with Peking on one hand and tries to be a Trump whisperer on the other. While on the home front, this man who is not a man of faith has a special relationship with one in particular.
Sforzesca
1 month ago
Got to love the concept of defensive strikes.
Anybody like to have a guess at the number of innocents that have been and will be slaughtered at the behest of the Israel/Neocon combo, may well make Gaza look like a tea party.
Word on the street is that the US may well not be able to “win” before they near exhaust supplies of bombs and missiles in a few weeks, then what? Boots on the ground – or the unthinkably worse.
(Click “read more” to recover the paragraphs) It was Trump who unilaterally terminated the JCPOA, back in 2018. He then went on to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities, and now it’s “regime change” time again (which has so far failed) Judging by their previous escapades at “regime change”: Iraq: Now a haven for Islamic nutters and rival militias. Libya: Now a failed state and Qaddafi no longer stopping the waves of sub-Saharan Africans from crossing & pouring across the Med into Europe & UK social housing.. Syria: concocted falsehoods about Bashar-Al-Assad using WMD against his own people; now run by Al-Qaeda. With Assad, Syrian Christians were protected, free to publicly celebrate Christmas…. Russia. After four years (and many more) complete failure to change regime. Dastardly Putin still eating babies with impunity.. JCPOA: The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal, is a 2015 agreement between Iran and the P5+1 (US, UK, France, China, Russia, plus Germany) and the EU. It limits Iran’s nuclear program, specifically restricting uranium enrichment and centrifuges, in exchange for lifting international sanctions, ensuring a peaceful nuclear program. And so far an estimated 1000 Iranian civilians dead including “scores of” schoolgirls killed by… Read more »
In the meantime, we are still awaiting an effective missile defence shield on Cyprus. Yes, the RAF pilots are doing an amazing job taking out missiles and drones in the air but that was never the design brief. It should be naval assets (which France, Greece and Spain have all been able to put into theatre quicker than us), and last line ground launched anti-missile systems, of which we have a grand total of seven, but who knows where. Anyone following flight radar will have been astounded to see a C-17 Globemaster apparently providing picket duties endlessly doing circles south of Cyprus. How daft to be using a heavy lift cargo plane to be doing that?
Watching Vessel Finder, for a while two days ago, there was a large concentration of tankers waiting either side of the Straits, but yesterday and today, shipping seems to be moving quite happily into and out of the Gulf and there are plenty of tankers heading up the Red Sea and on through the Mediterranean, so it would seem that problem was short-lived.
The last example of large strategic air warfare was a number of countries in SE Asia being succesfully bombed into being run by communists for decades.
And the Chancellor could temporarily reduce excise duty to compensate a bit. After all VAT revenue would rise on the global pricing as long as purchasing continues at the same rate. Only dreaming, of course.
And huge debt piles due to overspending and overborrowing especially given that interest rates since 2008 have been historically low fuelling idiots to think they would never rise. Step forward Boy George Osborn as one example.
This is as good a place as any to criticise those who demand to know how the war in the Middle East will evolve and what will be the temporary end point. Of course any and point will be temporary in geopolitical tests just as the end of WWI, WWII and the forever wars.
JCPOA: The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal, is a 2015 agreement between Iran and the P5+1 (US, UK, France, China, Russia, plus Germany) and the EU. It limits Iran’s nuclear program, specifically restricting uranium enrichment and centrifuges, in exchange for lifting international sanctions, ensuring a peaceful nuclear programme.
JDee
1 month ago
My view on trump is nuanced. He is a leader who seems to be trying to drag the world overton window back to the modernist sanity of the 70s and 80s, on a whole load of different topics. In that sense he is a bit of a saviour. Yes he has a sense of humour but he presents himself in a way that is difficult to get ones head around as he always seems to press to hard and too far unnecessarily offend and so undermines himself morally. On balance I am willing to be persuaded that taking out the Islamic regime in Iran, will , if it works, be on balance a good thing. None the less going to war is a most serious thing not to be made flippantly. Whitehouse social media videos likening things to a video game or a gung-ho movie are therefore to be utterly condemed as wholly inappropriate and should be taken down. They just bring Trump and the whole Whitehouse administration into disrepute, just what we’re they thinking, how can they expect to retain serious support! There is no excuse for making light of warfare. Making light of such life and death issues… Read more »
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/03/06/russia-iran-intelligence-us-targets/
‘Russia is providing Iran with targeting information to attack American forces in the Middle East, the first indication that another major U.S. adversary is participating — even indirectly — in the war, according to three officials familiar with the intelligence.
The assistance, which has not been previously reported, signals that the rapidly expanding conflict now features one of America’s chief nuclear-armed competitors with exquisite intelligence capabilities.
Since the war began Saturday, Russia has passed Iran the locations of U.S. military assets, including warships and aircraft…’
Bad idea!
Thus it ever was. Russia has been supply military equipment to the Houthis that have then attacked shipping in international waters and Israel. The excalaion has happened and that has been the response from Israel and the US to being attacked.
Pay back for US intervention in Ukraine.
They have been doing this kind of thing for a great deal longer than that.
Russia is doing for Iran what America does for Ukraine – providing targeting data for Iran’s missile strikes. Just the last day or two, Iran has destroyed several ground based US radars in nearby Gulf states. Has it been reported by the BBC? Nope.
Excuse my ignorance, but if Iran has no air defence left, why does the US still need stealth bombers?
The B52 is not a stealth bomber (was used in Vietnam) and air dominance has now allowed it to be used in this theatre. The B1 has some stealth capabilities but it’s main attribute is it’s speed. The B2 is the main stealth bomber of the US and is very capable.
its
We night-stopped Anderson (Guam AFB) in ’71 on a Global trip in the VC10. Watching a fully loaded B52 lurch off the end of the 600ft elevated runway, whilst belching burnt aviation fumes was quite a sight to behold.
Was that a D model? Turbojets instead of the H model’s turbofans if so, very smoky.
Russia is providing Iran with early warning and likely location of air strikes.
Iran still has mobile ICBM launchers.
Iran has enough enriched uranium to make a small nuclear warhead.
The best way to prevent a nuclear war will be to take out any remaining mobile launchers (and ICBMs, associated infrastructure).
Stealth, given Russia’s capable surveillance assistance to Iran, remains the best option for surprise strikes on any remaining Iranian offensive capability, command and control…
The element of surprise so targets cannot be forewarned and moved.
Russia and China could track US aircraft and pass information along to their Iranian chums.
Aha. Good point. Thanks.
The Ayatollah must be killed more?
Haven’t we been led to believe that the “Head of the Iranian Snake” has already been separated from the body?
Oh dear. “Regime change”, again.
Look up definition of “Hydra”.
That is actually my point. Hydra, indeed.
Separating Iran from China.
Meanwhile, Starmer wants a ‘pragmatic’ relationship with Peking on one hand and tries to be a Trump whisperer on the other. While on the home front, this man who is not a man of faith has a special relationship with one in particular.
Got to love the concept of defensive strikes.
Anybody like to have a guess at the number of innocents that have been and will be slaughtered at the behest of the Israel/Neocon combo, may well make Gaza look like a tea party.
Word on the street is that the US may well not be able to “win” before they near exhaust supplies of bombs and missiles in a few weeks, then what? Boots on the ground – or the unthinkably worse.
(Click “read more” to recover the paragraphs) It was Trump who unilaterally terminated the JCPOA, back in 2018. He then went on to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities, and now it’s “regime change” time again (which has so far failed) Judging by their previous escapades at “regime change”: Iraq: Now a haven for Islamic nutters and rival militias. Libya: Now a failed state and Qaddafi no longer stopping the waves of sub-Saharan Africans from crossing & pouring across the Med into Europe & UK social housing.. Syria: concocted falsehoods about Bashar-Al-Assad using WMD against his own people; now run by Al-Qaeda. With Assad, Syrian Christians were protected, free to publicly celebrate Christmas…. Russia. After four years (and many more) complete failure to change regime. Dastardly Putin still eating babies with impunity.. JCPOA: The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal, is a 2015 agreement between Iran and the P5+1 (US, UK, France, China, Russia, plus Germany) and the EU. It limits Iran’s nuclear program, specifically restricting uranium enrichment and centrifuges, in exchange for lifting international sanctions, ensuring a peaceful nuclear program. And so far an estimated 1000 Iranian civilians dead including “scores of” schoolgirls killed by… Read more »
In the meantime, we are still awaiting an effective missile defence shield on Cyprus. Yes, the RAF pilots are doing an amazing job taking out missiles and drones in the air but that was never the design brief. It should be naval assets (which France, Greece and Spain have all been able to put into theatre quicker than us), and last line ground launched anti-missile systems, of which we have a grand total of seven, but who knows where. Anyone following flight radar will have been astounded to see a C-17 Globemaster apparently providing picket duties endlessly doing circles south of Cyprus. How daft to be using a heavy lift cargo plane to be doing that?
Nearly 90% of oil from Iran goes to China so not sure why oil prices are rising
Because oil from the other ME producers has to be moved through the Straights of Hormuz which is closed.
Watching Vessel Finder, for a while two days ago, there was a large concentration of tankers waiting either side of the Straits, but yesterday and today, shipping seems to be moving quite happily into and out of the Gulf and there are plenty of tankers heading up the Red Sea and on through the Mediterranean, so it would seem that problem was short-lived.
The last example of large strategic air warfare was a number of countries in SE Asia being succesfully bombed into being run by communists for decades.
Lol, they would have been even more communist if we had not bombed them so much.
Quite so!
“Qatar has warned that the surging price of oil, which may peak at $150 per barrel, could “bring down the economies of the world”.
Blather. Oil reached $147 a barrel in 2008 ($180 in today’s money) and we survived.
What is bringing down the World’s economies is Net Zero and the over-taxation and regulation of Western economies.
And the Chancellor could temporarily reduce excise duty to compensate a bit. After all VAT revenue would rise on the global pricing as long as purchasing continues at the same rate. Only dreaming, of course.
And huge debt piles due to overspending and overborrowing especially given that interest rates since 2008 have been historically low fuelling idiots to think they would never rise. Step forward Boy George Osborn as one example.
This is as good a place as any to criticise those who demand to know how the war in the Middle East will evolve and what will be the temporary end point. Of course any and point will be temporary in geopolitical tests just as the end of WWI, WWII and the forever wars.
Prof. Jeffrey Sachs with some background to the JCPOA (2015), which Trump tore up in 2018:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ6uJE61jy4
JCPOA: The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal, is a 2015 agreement between Iran and the P5+1 (US, UK, France, China, Russia, plus Germany) and the EU.
It limits Iran’s nuclear program, specifically restricting uranium enrichment and centrifuges, in exchange for lifting international sanctions, ensuring a peaceful nuclear programme.
My view on trump is nuanced. He is a leader who seems to be trying to drag the world overton window back to the modernist sanity of the 70s and 80s, on a whole load of different topics. In that sense he is a bit of a saviour. Yes he has a sense of humour but he presents himself in a way that is difficult to get ones head around as he always seems to press to hard and too far unnecessarily offend and so undermines himself morally. On balance I am willing to be persuaded that taking out the Islamic regime in Iran, will , if it works, be on balance a good thing. None the less going to war is a most serious thing not to be made flippantly. Whitehouse social media videos likening things to a video game or a gung-ho movie are therefore to be utterly condemed as wholly inappropriate and should be taken down. They just bring Trump and the whole Whitehouse administration into disrepute, just what we’re they thinking, how can they expect to retain serious support! There is no excuse for making light of warfare. Making light of such life and death issues… Read more »
Fundamentally unchristian