What to know about the US B-2 bombers heading to Guam
Multiple B-2 stealth bombers were headed to Guam Saturday, two sources familiar with their movements told ABC News.
At this point, the bombers have no orders beyond that, according to the sources.
The moves come as tensions between Iran and the West have escalated over its nuclear program and the Trump administration weighs its options.
Trump has had numerous meetings with national security advisors this week and said in a statement that he would decide within "in two weeks."
The president is slated to have another Situation Room meeting later Saturday evening.
The bombers could stay at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam for some time, but the question is for how long. Moving these aircraft does not mean that a final decision has been made.
In addition to the bombers, eight refueling tankers took off just before midnight on Friday in Oklahoma, flew over Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico before turning around and landing at the same base they took off, ABC News learned.
Over the past week, speculation has grown as to whether the Trump administration would use the 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator to target Iran’s deep underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordrow.
The B-2 is the only U.S. Air Force bomber capable of carrying the MOP on bombing missions, with each bomber can carry two bombs.
Attention turned to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, which is the home to all 19 of the B-2 bomber fleet, and whether they might be launched for a nonstop flight to Iran that would require multiple mid-air refuelings.
Attention was also focused on the small British island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean that would afford B-2 bombers a much shorter flight time to Iran.
In April, six B-2 bombers were deployed to the island as part of the sustained air campaign that the Trump administration had launched against Houthi militants in Yemen because of their continued attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea region.
The bombers carried out airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, but their deployment was also a strategic message to Iran at a time of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
