B-2 Bombers Assembling at Remote Island of Diego Garcia

The United States military appears to be gearing up for a major operation somewhere in the Middle East, based on the buildup of assets, including several B-2 Spirit stealth bombers on the island base of Diego Garcia.

Diego Garcia is a joint United Kingdom-U.S. base located in the Indian Ocean. It was used as a bomber launch base for the Gulf War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“It is very important to note here that Diego Garcia, unlike bases in the Middle East or aircraft carriers operating in the region, is largely out of the reach of the missiles and drones available now to either the Houthis or Iran,” the military news site TWZ (short for The War Zone) reported.

“Iran’s current longest-range ballistic missiles are generally assessed to have maximum ranges around 1,242 miles (2,000 kilometers). At its shortest, the distance between the Indian Ocean island and Iran is some 2,358 miles (3,795 kilometers),” the outlet added.

Reports suggest that there are at least five B-2 bombers at Diego Garcia already.

In addition to B2 bombers, “Satellite imagery posted on social media shows three C-17 cargo planes and 11 KC-135 refueling tankers deployed to Diego Garcia in the past 48 hours, reinforcing its role as a U.S. staging ground. The buildup coincides with intensified U.S. strikes on the Houthis and growing warnings to Iran,” Newsweek noted Wednesday.