US beefs up military might in Middle East after unleashing powerful B-1 bombers to attack Iran
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is flooding the Middle East with elite troops, fighter jets and combat medics, and unleashed a powerful B-1 bomber to strike Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets for the first. . .
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is flooding the Middle East with elite troops, fighter jets and combat medics, and unleashed a powerful B-1 bomber to strike Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets for the first time in the war — as President Trump weighs widening thefight against Iran. The US has surged special operations forces into the Middle East and repositioned fighter squadrons across the region afterfour US troops were killed over the past week, according to flight tracking data. A Marine conducting a verification boarding M/T Wen Yao in the Gulf of Oman on July 16, 2026. CENTCOM / SWNSFootage from CENTCOM of US forces launching precision strikes against the Iranian military. US Central Command (CENTCOM)/AFP via Getty ImagesMore than 150 medics have also been sent to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany — the military’s primary hospital for wounded troops from the Middle East — in preparation for potential additional casualties,the The Wall Street Journal reportedon Wednesday. Meanwhile, the US military also deployed a B-1 long-range bomber on Tuesday, US officialstold Axios. It was the first time the US conducted a B-1 mission since fighting with Iran resumed 12 days ago — and signals a notable escalation in the war, the outlet noted. Four US service members were killed in Iranian strikes in Jordan. JIM LO SCALZO/EPA/ShutterstockUS Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit conducting a verification boarding. US MARINE CORPS/AFP via Getty ImagesThe military buildup comes as Iran’s missiles and drones are showing an increasingly deadly level of precision. Astrike on Friday killed three US troopswhen a missile struck the prefabricated housing where American service members lived and slept. Three ballistic missiles pierced US air defenses during a series of attacks on the base, highlighting the growing challenge of protecting roughly 50,000 US troops stationed across the region.