US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said it was up to Iran to decide whether the recent US movement of B-2 bombers was a message to Tehran, as he voiced hope that US-Iran negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme could be resolved peacefully.
As many as six B-2 bombers relocated in March to a US-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, US officials said, amid a US bombing campaign in Yemen and mounting tensions with Iran.
There are only 20 B-2 bombers in the air force’s inventory so they are usually used sparingly.
Experts said that puts the B-2s, which have stealth technology and are equipped to carry the heaviest US bombs and nuclear weapons, in an ideal position to operate in the Middle East.
Asked if the B-2s were meant to send a message to Iran, Hegseth said: “We’ll let them decide.”
“It’s a great asset … it sends a message to everybody,” he told reporters during a trip to Panama.
“President Trump’s been clear … Iran should not have a nuclear bomb,” he said. “We very much hope – the president is focused on doing that peacefully.”
