US deploys stealth bombers to strategic base as Houthi deterrent
The United States has deployed stealth bombers to the Diego Garcia military base, in a warning to Iran and its rebel proxies.
At least three B-2 spirit bombers have already arrived at the strategic US-UK outpost, according to satellite imagery.
Another four jets are believed to be on their way, according to unconfirmed Open Source Intelligence reports.
The island puts Iran and Yemen in range of US planes.
Iranian-backed Houthi militia in Yemen have been attacking Israel and terrorising dozens of merchant vessels with missiles, drones and small boat attacks in the Red Sea.
The group possesses a range of drones, anti-ship cruise missiles and ballistic missiles – either provided by Iran or developed themselves.
The presence and proximity of the bombers will send a strong message to Iran, as tensions continue to run high over the country's support for the Houthis and Tehran's reluctance to enter into talks with Mr Trump about nuclear weapons.
The decisive military action comes after Mr Trump's cabinet said that Europe was outgunned by the Houthis' drones and missiles stockpiles.
In leaked texts from the messaging app Signal, Mike Waltz, the US national security adviser, said: 'Whether we pull the plug or not today, European navies do not have the capabilities to defend against the types of sophisticated, anti-ship, cruise missiles, and drones the Houthis are now using.'
The sustained Houthi attacks have disrupted shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which are both critical to global trade.
Mr Trump's cabinet claims that only America has the capability to ensure that the shipping lanes remain open. Mr Trump ordered a campaign against the group of 'sinister mobsters and thugs' which has seen dozens of people killed.
A military source told The Telegraph that the B-2 stealth jets had been deployed to help protect international shipping lanes but were unlikely to be involved in carrying out bombing raids.
Cabinet members on the Signal conversation said the president had asked that officials 'determine the cost' associated with the attacks so they could 'levy' remunerations from their European allies in return for carrying out the strikes.
Dubbed the 'ghosts of the sky', the B-2 bombers are capable of slipping past the most advanced air defences and deliver deadly payloads with surgical precision.
The aircraft were used as part of the operation targeting hardened underground facilities housing missiles in areas of Houthi controlled Yemen in October.
Each aircraft can hold 18 tons worth of conventional or nuclear bombs – and easily overpower the Houthis.
A military source told The Telegraph that the B-2 stealth jets have been deployed to help protect international shipping lanes, but are unlikely to be involved in carrying out bombing raids.
Some analysts have suggested that the build-up could be a precursor to a strike on Iran itself.
'The fact that they're sending stealth bombers would suggest that they're intending to operate them against somebody who has their defences right, like Iran,' Bryan Clark, senior fellow at the Hudson Institute said.'This is a deliberate kind of move to signal something to Iran, or is because of some anticipated or potential operation against Iran,' he added.
The launch pad of Diego Garcia is in Chagos Islands – the Indian Ocean territory owned by Britain, but which Sir Keir Starmer wants to hand back to Mauritius. The future of the military base is a key point of contention in the deal to give up the archipelago.
As part of Sir Keir's proposed deal, Diego Garcia would be leased back to the UK at a reported annual cost of £90 million, so the US can continue its military operations there.
The base provides easy access to vital trade routes across Africa and Asia. Diego Garcia served as a critical logistical hub for UK-US missions to counter Iraqi aggression against Kuwait in 1990-1991, as well as a launchpad for operations against the Taliban and al-Qaeda during the global war on terror in the 2000s.
Despite months of suspicion that he would reject the deal, Mr Trump last month suggested he would in fact support Sir Keir's plan to hand the Chagos Islands over to Mauritius.
Speaking in the Oval Office before the final draft was sent, the US president said leasing the American military base for 140 years was 'powerful' and 'doesn't sound bad'.
However, the deal has not yet been signed. The military build-up indicates that the US still views the outpost as a vital military asset.
Mr Trump has warned of 'severe consequences' for Iran if it does not comply with his request for a new nuclear agreement, including military action.
Iran continues to weigh how to respond to a letter sent by Mr Trump trying to jump-start negotiations over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.
Tehran has long maintained its programme is for peaceful purposes, even as its officials increasingly threaten to pursue the bomb as tensions rise over the fighting in the Middle East.
US intelligence agencies believe that Iran has yet to begin a weapons programme, but has 'undertaken activities that better position it to produce a nuclear device, if it chooses to do so'.
Since Mr Trump returned to the White House, his administration has consistently said that Iran must be prevented from acquiring nuclear weapons.
Stratcom confirmed the deployment to The Wall Street Journal. The Telegraph contacted the agency for comment.
An Air Force global strike command spokeswoman said: 'B-2 Spirit bombers have arrived at Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia.
'US Strategic Command, its components, and subordinate units routinely conduct global operations in coordination with other combatant commands, services, and participating US government agencies to deter, detect and, if necessary, defeat strategic attacks against the United States and its allies.
'To preserve operational security, we do not discuss details about exercises or operations.'
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