US Suddenly Deploys B-52 Bombers to the Middle East, Will the Iran War Not End?

The United States (US) has deployed land-based B-52 bombers in the Middle East. This move signals the latest escalation in the conflict involving Washington and Tehran, as reported by Middle East Monitor (MEMO) and Anadolu. “With increased air superiority, we have begun the first land-based B-52 mission,” said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, quoted on Wednesday (1/4/2025). “This allows us to continue to outpace the enemy,” he added during a press conference with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. In the same statement, the US also claimed to have struck more than 11,000 targets in the conflict zone over 30 days. According to Caine, the operations aim to systematically weaken Iran’s military capabilities. “Our joint forces remain focused on military targets and continue to destroy Iran’s ability to project power and threaten the region beyond its borders,” he stated, claiming to have destroyed more than 150 ships belonging to the Iranian Navy. On the other hand, Hegseth noted that Iran is still launching a number of missiles, though the intensity is beginning to decrease. He added that in the last 24 hours, the number of missiles and drones launched by Iran is at the lowest level. “Iran will still fire some missiles, but we will shoot down those missiles,” he said. The conflict in the region has been intensifying since the joint US and Israeli attack on Iran on 28 February. That attack reportedly killed more than 1,340 people, including Iran’s top leader at the time, Ali Khamenei. In retaliation, Iran launched drone and missile attacks on several areas, including Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets. Those attacks caused casualties, infrastructure damage, as well as disruptions to global markets and international aviation. In an update on Tuesday night US time, Trump said the war might end in two or three weeks. This statement caused oil prices to fall from record highs and boosted Asian stock exchanges.