US Air Force Bombers Fly 36-Hour Round-Trip Mission to Persian Gulf in 'Show of Force'

Two US Air Force B-52H bombers left on a 36-hour round-trip mission from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, to the Persian Gulf on December 9, amid heightened regional tensions with Iran.

The US Central Command confirmed the mission, saying it was “designed to deter aggression.”

The New York Times reported that the mission was intended as a “show of force” amid heightened tensions with Iran. The aircraft did not enter Iranian airspace, according to reports.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has blamed Israel for the November 27 killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a scientist believed to be a key force in the country’s nuclear-weapons program, and vowed revenge for the attack. Credit: CENTCOM via Storyful