US flies B-1B bomber over Persian Gulf, Red Sea

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The United States has confirmed that on Saturday it flew a B-1B strategic bomber over the Red Sea, and over the Strait of Hormuz between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, Voice of America (VOA) reports. The B-1B Lancer bomber was accompanied by fighter jets from Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, and also flew over Egypt’s Suez Canal.

Both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea have seen recent attacks on shipping that have been attributed to Iran, VOA said. Iran has denied the attacks but has vowed to exact revenge on Israel for a series of strikes against its nuclear program.

In a statement Sunday, the US air force said the B-1B Lancer bomber was from the 37th Bomb Squadron based at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, VOA said.

The flyover took place amid stalled talks between the US and Iran about returning to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal. Former US president Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, and reimposed sanctions on Iran; the Islamic regime responded by increasing its enrichment of uranium to far beyond the limit agreed upon in the deal. The Biden administration has said it is interested in returning to the agreement, but only if Tehran first complies with the agreed terms. Talks have faltered since the August 2021 election of ultra-conservative hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi.

Commenting on the flyover on Twitter, the US Air Force Central Command said the flyover sent “a clear message of reassurance” to regional allies. Iran did not immediately respond to news of the flight, VOA said.

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