The U.S. military deployed a long-range B-1 bomber to strike Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets in Iran, marking a significant escalation as the conflict enters its twelfth day.
U.S. Deploys B-1 Bomber as Strait of Hormuz Campaign Escalates
The U.S. military escalated its 12-day air campaign against Iran by deploying a B-1 long-range bomber on Tuesday to strike Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targets in Iran, according to officials cited by Report. Launching its mission from an airbase in the United Kingdom and spotted on online tracking platforms, the aircraft represents the first time the U.S. has used a B-1 in the renewed hostilities.
The deployment signals a sharp expansion in military pressure. The aircraft carries the largest bomb load of any bomber type, capable of hauling dozens of cruise missiles or two dozen 2,000-pound bombs at low altitudes faster than the speed of sound. U.S. and Israeli officials indicate that President Donald Trump is still weighing a return to major combat operations within days, building on a regional buildup.
Central Command Strikes and Civilian Infrastructure Under Fire
U.S. Central Command announced that Wednesday marked the twelfth night of strikes aimed at dismantling Iranian capabilities threatening international waterways. According to AP News, the operation’s goal is to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters and restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump warned earlier Wednesday that the U.S. would destroy one bridge or power plant each time Iran shoots at a ship in the strait. Iranian state media reported that U.S. missiles hit locations near Ahvaz, Ramshir, and Andimeshk in western Iran, while a strike in Shalamcheh near the Iraqi border killed two people. In response, Iran has targeted energy installations and desalination plants providing drinking water in neighboring Gulf nations. Military officials in Kuwait also confirmed via social media that their air defenses were confronting attacks by hostile drones, following the sinful Iranian aggression as noted by AP News.
President Trump’s Bridge and Power Plant Threats
President Trump issued a stern warning regarding ongoing skirmishes in the crucial energy waterway, taking to social media to state that the United States would retaliate against civilian infrastructure for any incoming fire.
For more on this story, see US Deploys Stealth Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Iran Tensions.
“From this point forward, any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT,”
President Donald Trump, via AP News
International law generally prohibits targeting civilian infrastructure unless it serves military purposes. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi responded on X that his nation would pursue an eye for an eye defense doctrine, writing that "Any aggression against Iran, including our infrastructure, will compel a powerful and decisive response," as detailed by AP News. Meanwhile, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf dismissed the warnings, writing on social media that "We have repeatedly said that the situation of the strait will not return to prewar conditions."
Economic Toll and Stalled Diplomatic Channels
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz—a transit route for a fifth of global traded oil and gas during peacetime—has driven benchmark Brent crude oil above $93 a barrel, climbing from less than $72 earlier in the month. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated during a Senate hearing that the military campaign has cost $37.5 billion so far, while President Trump traveled to Dover Air Force Base for the return of four fallen U.S. service members, according to AP News. Gasoline prices are also climbing, threatening further worldwide economic disruption ahead of midterm U.S. elections this fall.
Diplomatic initiatives face hurdles. Before the latest strikes, Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni visited Pakistan, a key mediator in the conflict, seeking to revive diplomacy. Iran’s Interior Ministry spokesman Ali Zeinivand maintained that "diplomacy isn’t called off" and that messages were still being exchanged without elaborating, according to IRNA. However, an anonymous Arab diplomat told AP News that Gulf states remain highly pessimistic about finding an off-ramp as hostilities continue to expand.
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