The United States has sent several B-2 Spirit strategic bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to the Pacific island of Guam, strengthening its military presence in the region amid the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, The New York Times reported, citing Pentagon sources. Although the US military has stressed that there has been no order to attack Iran, the deployment of aircraft capable of carrying bunker busters to strike hardened nuclear sites like the Fordow complex has raised concerns around the world. US President Donald Trump, returning to the White House on the evening of June 21, 2025, is considering supporting Israeli operations against Tehran's nuclear program, according to Axios.

The redeployment of the B-2s, which Defense News reported could be armed with GBU-57 bunker buster bombs, comes as tensions in the Middle East escalate. Israel has carried out a series of strikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, including command centers and weapons depots, in recent weeks, killing more than 400 people, including dozens of women and children, and wounding more than 3000, according to Reuters. Iran has responded with missile attacks on Israeli cities, raising tensions, Al Jazeera reported. Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi rebels, backed by Tehran, have threatened to violate a ceasefire with the United States reached in May 2025.

Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to prevent war are failing. As Axios reports, Trump, along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, tried to arrange a meeting of senior US and Iranian officials in Istanbul this week. The talks were to include US Vice President J.D. Vance and White House Special Representative Steve Witkoff, and Trump himself expressed his willingness to personally travel to meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. However, the efforts failed due to the inability to establish contact with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who, according to sources, is hiding in a bunker due to an assassination threat. The Wall Street Journal clarifies that Khamenei has stepped up security measures after recent Israeli strikes, including the elimination of key figures in the Iranian nuclear program.