The United States continues to send bombers across the Persian Gulf to keep Iran under control, while the new Biden government finds out how it wants to approach Tehran.
On Tuesday, a US Air Force long-range B-52H Stratofortress heavy bomber assigned to the 2nd Bombardment Wing flew from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana to the Middle East. The aircraft flew across the Persian Gulf before returning to the USA. It is a 36-hour round trip.
The objective was “to demonstrate the ability of the United States Armed Forces to deploy airpower anywhere in the world to stop potential aggression and show the United States’ commitment to regional security,” the United States Central Command said in a statement. official announcement.
The B-52 bomber’s last flight marks the sixth deterrent flight across the Persian Gulf since November. It is, however, the first since President Joe Biden took office.
“We know that the policy of the United States is evolving towards Iran now and that the new government will make some decisions here in the near future,” a United States official told Defense One. “I know if we can continue to stop the aggression. Iranian … it will give policymakers more room for decision while setting policies. “
“Other concerns included: would they try to do something to get back at the Trump administration by stepping down?” said the official. “We were also thinking about the future and thinking, ‘Okay, would they try to test or pressure the US military in the early days of the new government?'”
The Biden government, which has been in operation for just a week, has pledged to work to engage Iran and address its nuclear aspirations, ballistic missile program and malign and destabilizing activities in the region.
During the Trump administration, relations between Washington and Tehran were defined by a significant escalation of tensions. Early last year, the two countries were on the verge of war after the United States murdered a top Iranian general, forcing Iran to retaliate by launching a missile attack on American forces.
The situation eased rapidly, but tensions persisted.
Previous bomber flights across the region came at a time when the US was on guard against possible Iranian aggression. There were concerns that an Iran still bitter over the death of its dead general could act while the United States was distracted by a chaotic transition at home.
A senior military official told NBC News in early December that the risk of a miscalculation is “greater than normal now”.
“It does not mean that they are going to do something,” explained the military officer. “But, you know, we want to make sure that, if they’re thinking about some kind of aggressive act, think twice before doing that.”
In addition to the United States Air Force B-52 bombers, the USS Georgia, a United States Navy guided missile submarine loaded with Tomahawk ground attack cruise missiles, was openly deployed in the Persian Gulf with two cruisers in December.
The military believes that its activities in and around the Gulf have discouraged Iran.
“Our assessment now is that Iran is unlikely to do anything to provoke the United States now,” an official told Defense One. “They seem to be buying time, waiting to see what the new government’s policy towards them will be.”