B-52 bombers to be part of US forces sent to Middle East over Iran concerns

The USmilitary said on Tuesday that B-52bomberswill bepartof additionalforcesbeingsentto the MiddleEastto counter what the Trump administration says are "clear indications" of threats fromIranto USforcesthere.

White House national security adviser John Bolton said on Sunday that the United States was deploying a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to theMiddleEast.

Captain Bill Urban, a spokesman for USCentral Command, said that the bomber task force would consist of B-52bombers.

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The USofficials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said four B-52s would be deployed, though that number could change. The United States has regularly maintained a bomber presence in the region, and B-1bomberswere there as recently as last month. The B-52is a long-range, nuclear-capable bomber.

The military also confirmed that the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group had already been scheduled to go to theMiddleEast, but that its movement was "expedited" due to heightened tension withIran. Iran's top security body dismissed the U.S. plan to sendforcesto the region as "psychological warfare."

Announcing details of the force on Tuesday, the USmilitary did not provide specific details of intelligence it may have about anIranian threat.

US Central Command, which is responsible for USmilitary operations in theMiddleEastand Afghanistan, requested additional forces following "recent and clear indications" thatIranian and proxyforceswere making preparations to possibly attack U.S.forcesin the region, Urban said.

He said the credibility of those threats was based on sources and methods through which the information was obtained, something the USmilitary was not able to discuss. The military has said the threat to USforceswas on land and at sea but declined to provide further details.

"USCentral Command continues to track the number of credible threat streams emanating from the regime inIranthroughout the CENTCOM area of responsibility," Urban said. USofficials have told Reuters that the intelligence was based on specific and "credible" threats to USforcesin Iraq, Syria and the broader region.

One USofficial, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said there were indications thatIranappeared to be moving short-range ballistic missiles on boats in theMiddleEast. The United States has previously accusedIranof providingparts of such missiles to Houthi rebels in Yemen fighting a Saudi-led coalition backed by the United States. It is unclear how this intelligence was different.