Overview
- U.S. B-1 and B-52 bombers forward-deployed to RAF Fairford have flown strike sorties into Iran, with multiple outlets reporting the first missions launched from a British base in this conflict.
- Footage and on-base reporting show ground crews handling JDAMs fitted with BLU-109 bunker-buster warheads for B-1s, signaling a move from standoff cruise missiles to direct attacks on fortified sites.
- U.S. defense chief Pete Hegseth said Tuesday would be the most intense day of the campaign, citing the greatest number of fighters, bombers and strikes since Operation Epic Fury began.
- U.S. Central Command reported continued degradation of Iranian combat power, highlighting strikes on ballistic-missile infrastructure and the destruction of IRGC warships and mine-laying vessels.
- The UK government maintains that access for U.S. aircraft is restricted to specific defensive purposes and stresses that British forces are not conducting offensive actions.