US deploys B-2 bombers as Trump weighs Iran strike

The United States is moving B-2 bombers to the Pacific island of Guam, two US officials told Reuters on Saturday, as President Donald Trump weighs whether the United States should take part in Israel’s strikes against Iran.

The move, picked up by flight tracking services on Saturday, indicate the US administration could be getting the Air Force bombers in position if needed for a strike on Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported.

It came hours after Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that if the US were to get involved in the conflict, the result would be “very, very dangerous” for everybody.

A US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber takes off.Credit: AP

“The tweets, interviews by the US President, [it’s] quite clear that he’s talking about the US leadership on these questions [of a potential US involvement],” Araghchi said.

“Unfortunately, we have heard that the US may join in this aggression. That would be very unfortunate and I think that would be very, very dangerous for everybody.”

Speculation about a potential US strike aimed at Iran’s nuclear program has focused on the B-2s, which would be needed to drop 30,000-pound bombs — so-called bunker busters — if Trump decided to target Iran’s heavily fortified uranium enrichment site at Fordow.

Israel, which is seeking to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities, does not have such weapons.

Multiple B-2s appeared to be airborne and heading across the Pacific from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, the New York Times reported on Saturday. The Times cited flight trackers’ posts on social media and air traffic control communications.

The Pentagon did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Trump continues to deepen uncertainty about his readiness to join Israel’s week-old war with Iran, signalling he might consider backing a ceasefire but also warning that he could order military action sooner than the deadline he flagged just a day earlier.

“I’m giving them a period of time,” the US president said in New Jersey, after meeting earlier with his national security team. “I would say two weeks would be the maximum.”

He dismissed European efforts to find a diplomatic solution after foreign ministers from Britain, France, Germany and the European Union met their Iranian counterpart in Geneva.

US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters in New Jersey on Friday.Credit: AP

After stepping up threats against Iran early this week, Trump appeared to dial back tensions on Thursday, saying he would hold off for two weeks to give diplomacy a chance. Israel, which has vowed to destroy Iran’s missile and nuclear programs, has continued strikes as Iran launched further retaliation.

Even as he hinted at shortening the deadline for his ultimatum, Trump also suggested he “might” support a ceasefire while talks were under way. Iran has demanded that the attacks stop before it enters negotiations, something Israel has refused to do.

“I might, depending on the circumstances,” the president said when asked if he’d back a halt to fighting to allow negotiations. But he questioned whether such a truce would be possible, saying Israel’s strikes on Iran could be “very hard to stop”.

Asked about Iran suggesting that, if the US were serious about furthering negotiations, it could call on Israel to stop its strikes, Trump responded, “I think it’s very hard to make that request right now”.

“If somebody is winning, it’s a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing,” he said. “But we’re ready, willing and able, and we’ve been speaking to Iran, and we’ll see what happens.”

His comments came as Israel and Iran exchanged more strikes and as thousands of people protested in Iran’s capital. Shortly after 2.30am in Israel (Saturday morning AEST), Iran launched a barrage of missiles, triggering air raid sirens across parts of central Israel, including Tel Aviv, as well as in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. At least 31 people were wounded in the Israeli city of Haifa.

In return, 25 Israeli fighter jets carried out airstrikes targeting “missile storage and launch infrastructure components” in western Iran. Iran’s Fars news agency said Israel had targeted the Isfahan nuclear facility, one of the nation’s biggest, but there was no leakage of hazardous materials. Israel’s defence minister said it had killed Saeed Izadi, a commander in Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard who financed and armed Hamas in preparation for the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Meanwhile, European diplomats made little apparent headway in their four-hour meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Friday, during which they urged him to revive diplomatic efforts with the US.

In a joint written statement issued once the talks ended, the three nations and the EU said they “discussed avenues towards a negotiated solution to Iran’s nuclear program”. They reiterated their concerns about the “expansion” of the nuclear program, adding that it has “no credible civilian purpose”.

“We are keen to continue ongoing discussions and negotiations with Iran, and we urge Iran to continue their talks with the US,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy told reporters. “This is a perilous moment, and it’s hugely important that we don’t see regional escalation of this conflict.”

Araghchi said he was open to further dialogue but emphasised that Tehran had no interest in negotiating with the US while Israel continued attacking.

“Iran is ready to consider diplomacy if aggression ceases and the aggressor is held accountable for its committed crimes,” he said.

No follow-up meeting has yet been scheduled, and there was no agreement on where or in what format such talks would take place, according to a European official.

Before a two-month-old negotiation process with the US was suspended following Israel’s attack, Tehran had signalled its willingness to accept some restrictions on its enrichment activities. Israel and the United States have said the Islamic republic shouldn’t be allowed to enrich uranium at all.

European foreign ministers after meeting with their Iranian counterpart in Geneva. From left: Britain’s David Lammy, the EU’s Kaja Kallas, Germany’s Johann Wadephul and France’s Jean-Noel Barrot.Credit: Getty Images

Trump played down the European diplomatic efforts.

“Iran doesn’t want to speak to Europe. They want to speak to us,” he said. “Europe is not going to be able to help in this one.”

Trump also said Israel lacked the ability to destroy all of Iran’s nuclear facilities on its own.

Most experts say a successful strike against the subterranean nuclear enrichment site at Fordow would require American participation, since Israel doesn’t have the munitions – such as the most powerful “bunker-buster” bombs – able to penetrate that deep underground. But there’s debate on the issue, with some claiming Israel has the necessary tools.

“They really have a very limited capacity,” Trump said. “They could break through a little section, but they can’t go down very deep. They don’t have that capacity.” And the president added: “Maybe it won’t be necessary.”

Trump repeated his stated belief that Iran was a matter of weeks from getting a nuclear bomb when Israel attacked, and again said his national intelligence director, Tulsi Gabbard, was wrong to suggest to Congress in March that there was no evidence Iran was building a nuclear weapon. Gabbard said on Friday the media had taken her previous testimony “out of context” and was trying to “manufacture division”.

Just before meeting the European diplomats, Araghchi made a brief appearance before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, saying Israel’s “attacks on nuclear facilities are grave war crimes”, and insisting “we are entitled … and determined to defend our territorial integrity, national sovereignty and security with all force”.

Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, though it was the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60 per cent, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.

Oil prices fell on Friday following a report from Reuters that Iran was ready to discuss limitations on uranium enrichment, though they’re still up significantly from before the conflict.

Israel launched its surprise attack on Iran last week, saying the threat of its sworn enemy acquiring nuclear weapons had to be neutralised. Iran responded with waves of missiles and drones of its own, and there have been heavy casualties on both sides.

Bloomberg, AP, Reuters

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