3 more US bombers arrived in UK amid Iran war, reports say
They join fleet of US military planes stationed at Royal Air Force Fairford base after B-1 Lancer bomber arrived on Friday, followed by 2 more on Saturday
LONDON
Three more American B-52 bombers have landed in the UK amid the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran, according to media reports on Monday.
The B-52 bombers that arrived at the Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairford base in Gloucestershire, South West England, are capable of launching missiles more than 1,500 miles, the BBC reported.
Newly arrived bombers joined a fleet of US military planes stationed at the base after a B-1 Lancer bomber arrived on Friday evening, followed by two more on Saturday.
After granting the US permission to use RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told lawmakers the government "does not believe in regime change from the skies."
This is the first time B-52s have been seen in the UK during the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran.
Being one of the US Air Force's longest‑serving and most versatile heavy bombers, it can carry up to 31,751 kilograms (nearly 70,000 pounds) of mixed weapons.
Initially, Starmer refused to grant permission for the US to use UK bases in its joint attacks with Israel against Iran, which caused a disagreement with US President Donald Trump.
But later in a video statement released on Sunday, the British premier allowed the US request in the interest of "collective self-defense" of allies and protecting British lives, accusing Iran of pursuing a "scorched-earth strategy."
Around 1,300 people have been killed and over 10,000 others injured in US and Israeli attacks on Iran since Feb. 28, according to Iranian authorities.
Tehran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries that are home to US military assets.
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