Iran13 March, 20262 min read
US Launches B-2 Stealth Bomber Strike on Iran, CENTCOM Says
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U.S. deployed about 2,000–2,500 Marines to the Middle East aboard amphibious warships CENTCOM said B-2 stealth bombers struck Iranian military capabilities on long-range missions
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CENTCOM strike announcement
CENTCOM announced that U.S. B-2 stealth bombers carried out a mission against Iranian capabilities as part of an operation dubbed Operation Epic Fury, with the command sharing visuals and saying the bombers were “delivering long-range fire to not only eliminate the threat from the Iranian regime today, but also eliminate their ability to rebuild in the future.”
“‘B-2 stealth bombers takeoff to conduct a mission during Operation Epic Fury, delivering long-range fire to not only eliminate the threat from the Iranian regime today, but also eliminate their ability to rebuild in the future,’ CENTCOM said on US social media company, sharing visuals of the bombers.”
The strike is presented alongside growing U.S. force posture in the region, with multiple outlets reporting the deployment of thousands of Marines aboard amphibious ships that raises the prospect of a larger footprint and sustained operations in the Middle East.
Local reporting framed the deployments and strikes as signalling deepening American involvement in the two-week-old Iran war, noting the movement of expeditionary forces to the theatre.
Pentagon rhetoric and claims
Senior U.S. officials framed the strikes in uncompromising terms.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters that “all of Iran’s defense companies will be destroyed ‘soon, and very soon,’” and said the campaign was producing “the highest volume of strikes that America has put over the skies of Iran and Tehran,” with sorties and “bomber pulses” described as “ramping up and only up.”
Hegseth made these comments alongside Gen. Dan Caine, identified in reporting as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, while other reporting captured Hegseth asserting battlefield effects on Iranian leadership.
Scale and force posture
Reporting highlights the scale and assets involved: outlets note the raids included long-range bomber sorties and that the U.S. is positioning significant maritime and air-capable expeditionary forces. Coverage identified the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit—reported as carrying around 2,200 Marines aboard three amphibious ships—with organic F-35B jets and MV-22B Ospreys that could support resupply, assaults and troop insertion. Other accounts reported roughly 2,500 Marines in an expeditionary force, underscoring variations in the reported size of the deployed units but a clear buildup of high-end capabilities.
“ABC News reported a Marine expeditionary unit with 2,200 Marines aboard three U.S. Navy amphibious ships have been ordered to the Middle East, identifying the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit primarily located in Okinawa, Japan.”
Costs and risks
Coverage also emphasised immediate human costs and operational risks: reporting noted a recent refuelling-aircraft crash over western Iraq that U.S. Central Command confirmed killed six U.S. troops, a loss that raised the United States war dead to 13.
At the same time, outlets pointed to the already large U.S. military footprint in the region—one report cited over 50,000 U.S. troops in the Middle East—underscoring how strikes and deployable expeditionary forces coexist with vulnerability to accidents and casualties.
Timeline and uncertainty
Finally, reporting underlined uncertainty and the potential for a prolonged campaign: Middle East Monitor said the operation began late last month, Forbes observed that the USS Tripoli could take roughly two weeks to reach the Middle East—timing that the outlet said could mean the war against Iran continues into April—while news accounts captured competing presidential remarks about the conflict’s end. Those combined details present a picture of an intensifying, active campaign with an uncertain duration.
“US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Friday B-2 stealth bombers carried out a mission targeting Iranian capabilities as part of an ongoing operation that began late last month,Anadolu reports.”