U.S. and Allies Fly Bomber and Fighter Jets Over Middle East in Show of Force to Iran

FILE – In this May 21, 2019 photo provided by the U.S. Air Force, a U.S. B-52H Stratofortress, prepares to fly over Southwest Asia. Two American bomber aircraft have flown over a swath of the Middle East, sending what U.S. officials say is a message of deterrence to Iran. The flight of the two massive B-52H Stratofortress bombers over the region on Thursday was the second such mission in less than a month. It was designed to underscore America’s continuing commitment to the Middle East even as President Donald Trump’s administration withdraws thousands of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. (Senior Airman Keifer Bowes/U.S. Air Force via AP)

A U.S. Air Force bomber escorted by fighter jets from allies including Israel has flown over key waterways in the Middle East where American and Iranian naval vessels have faced off.

The B-1B Lancer passed over the Gulf, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Suez Canal and Gulf of Oman, the U.S. Central Command, or Centcom, said in a statement Saturday.

It also flew over the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for a fifth of world oil output at the head of the Gulf that Iran considers a strategic area of influence.

“The bomber task force mission… was intended to deliver a clear message of reassurance,” Centcom said.

Fighter jets from Israel, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, all US allies opposed to the Islamic Republic of Iran, escorted the U.S. bomber over their respective airspaces.

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SOURCE: Japan Today