Guam: The US has strategically moved six B-2 stealth bombers toward Guam, a Micronesian island in the Western Pacific, as reported by the US Fox News broadcaster. The report, based on flight tracking data and communications with air traffic control, suggests that these aircraft refueled after departing from Missouri, indicating they may have launched with a heavy payload, potentially bunker-buster bombs.
According to Anadolu Agency, the B-2 bombers are equipped to carry the GBU-57 bunker buster, a 30,000-pound conventional weapon believed to have the best chance of damaging Fordow, Iran's secure nuclear site. The Wall Street Journal also noted that the Pentagon's deployment signifies a strategic positioning by the Trump administration, potentially as a contingency for a strike.
Fox News Digital quoted Mark Dubowitz, CEO of Foundation for Defense of Democracies, stating that the US uniquely possesses the capability to destroy Fordow from the air. Jonathan Ruhe, director of Foreign Policy for the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, explained that bunker busters are designed to penetrate through earth, rock, and concrete before detonating underground, potentially collapsing the structure without obliterating it.
The report added that although no order has been given to prepare for a B-2 strike, the flights may serve to apply diplomatic pressure on Iran. Trump had previously approved attack plans but was holding out to see if Tehran would halt its nuclear activities.
The Israeli daily Haaretz quoted an unnamed senior Israeli military official indicating Fordow as a designated target. The bombers, accompanied by refueling aircraft, left Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, with their initial destination being Guam. It remains uncertain if they will proceed to Diego Garcia, another strategic US base.
Haaretz outlined potential scenarios for a strike on Fordow, including a direct American airstrike with a massive bomb or a possible Israeli operation using US-supplied aircraft, though the latter is seen as unlikely. The urgency of these discussions has increased recently.
Meanwhile, hostilities between Israel and Iran have intensified. Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites on June 13 led to retaliatory strikes from Tehran. Israeli authorities reported at least 25 casualties and hundreds injured from Iranian missile attacks, while Iran's Health Ministry reported 430 deaths and over 3,500 injuries from Israeli assaults.