According to reports, US stealth bombers are expected to land at British military bases within days to take part in the US-Israeli campaign against Iran.
Quoting unnamed senior Western officials: The Telegraph reported Wednesday that the air bases of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire are being readied for the arrival of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers – the $2 billion strategic bomber is also known as the world’s most expensive aircraft.
The bombers would land at British bases “within days” as Washington steps up operations in the region, the newspaper reported.
Diego Garcia is a strategic base in the Indian Ocean that houses 2,500 American troops. (Reuters)
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that B-2 stealth bombers equipped with 2,000-pound bombs struck Iranian “hardened” ballistic missile sites.
The US was given permission to use British bases for limited attacks on Iran’s missile capabilities on February 29, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed off on the plan, and with British Defense Secretary John Healey stating that Britain had “acted alongside the Americans”.
Starmer said the permission was granted to protect British and American allies as the conflict escalated. He had previously said he would not allow US forces to use British bases for offensive operations in the region.
Since then, tensions have increased in Britain over security incidents in Cyprus. RAF Akrotiri, a key British military base on the island, was hit by a suspected drone on March 2, causing minor damage.
IRAN’S DRONE ATTACKS LEAVE US ‘EXPONENTIAL COSTS’ AND PROLONG THE WAR: ‘ASYMMETRIC CAPABILITY’
Several B-2 Spirit Stealth bombers are seen on a runway at Whiteman Air Force Base. (Whiteman Air Force Base)
The unmanned aircraft is said to resemble an Iranian-made Shahed drone, similar to models used by Russia in Ukraine and by Tehran’s regional proxies.
The Defense Ministry said force protection measures were at the “highest level” and that the base had taken steps to defend personnel. Approximately 4,000 soldiers and their families are stationed at RAF Akrotiri.
The US Department of State has upgraded its travel advisory for Cyprus to level 3, urging Americans to reconsider travel due to the threat of armed conflict and limited consular assistance in parts of the country.
Non-emergency embassy staff and family members were allowed to leave. Officials said the change in advice reflected adjustments in embassy operations rather than a direct change in the underlying risk.
EX-CENTCOM CHIEF DETAILS ‘EXQUISITE INTELLIGENCE’ BEHIND IRAN STRIKES, SAYS NEXT STEPS RUN ON ‘ROCKET MATHEMATICS’
President Donald Trump denounced British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on March 3, 2026, saying, “This is not Winston Churchill we’re dealing with,” amid a lack of support for the joint United States-Israel military operation against Iran. (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images; PA Images via Getty Images; Jonathan Brady/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
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Trump had called Britain “uncooperative” and labeled Starmer “not Winston Churchill” after Starmer initially rejected a US request to use British bases to attack Iran, Trump said. The Associated Press.
Trump has also condemned the British deal to hand over the Chagos Islands, home to the Diego Garcia base, to Mauritius.
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