
The war in West Asia has entered a far more dangerous phase as the United States deploys its most powerful strategic bombers against Iran. Under Operation Epic Fury, U.S. forces including B-52, B-2 and B-1 bombers have launched massive strikes targeting Iranian missile sites, air defences and naval assets. More than 50,000 troops, 200 fighter aircraft and two aircraft carriers are now positioned in the region in what officials describe as the largest American military build-up in the Middle East in decades. In less than 100 hours, nearly 2,000 targets have reportedly been struck, a scale even larger than the opening “Shock and Awe” phase of the Iraq War. Iran has responded with hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones, signalling that the conflict is rapidly escalating.