Trump on path to reduce tension with message of bomber withdrawal from Diego Garcia
Mehr News Agency, International Desk, Hassan Shokouhinassab: Recent days have seen significant shifts in the Trump administration’s relations with West Asian actors—shifts centered on tension-reduction talks and diplomatic repair. These range from Trump’s first Middle East visit to three Arab states (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE), notably excluding Netanyahu and occupied territories, to Washington’s progressing negotiations with Tehran and constructive talks between trump’s team and Yemen’s Ansarullah as well as Hamas.
Amid these diplomatic developments, though, a tangible U.S. military maneuver has drawn regional and global attention: the symbolic replacement of B-2 stealth bombers with B-52s at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
recently, unnamed U.S. officials told Reuters that the U.S. military is replacing its B-2 bombers at Diego Garcia with another bomber type—specifically B-52 Stratofortresses. German news agency Deutsche Welle reported these bombers departed Diego Garcia last weekend (saturday and Sunday).
The deployment and replacement of bombers on the strategic island
The U.S. relocated six radar-evading B-2 spirit bombers from Whiteman Air force Base in Missouri to Diego Garcia in late March 2025 (early Farvardin 1404). The transfer began on March 24 and concluded by March 29—satellite imagery confirmed four stationed there by march 29.
A subsequent deployment occurred on May 7 (17 Ordibehesht),when four B-52 Stratofortresses arrived at the base in two pairs throughout the day. Satellite images from May 8 showed ten U.S. bombers total: six B-2s alongside four newly arrived B-52s.
Experts argue this decision reflects dramatic shifts in Middle Eastern security dynamics amid heightened tensions between Washington & Yemen’s Ansarullah earlier this year when stealth strikes targeted underground facilities there repeatedly until White House pivoted toward diplomacy instead.
Some speculated Iran was another intended audience given nuclear negotiations underway as April though Tehran remains open diplomatically per precedent set under Obama-era JCPOA which Trump unilaterally abandoned during his first term.
French newspaper La Voix du Nord tied withdrawals directly toward progress made via Oman-mediated Iran-U.S talks while analysts note cost-cutting motives too given exorbitant maintenance demands unique among aircraft like $1M+/flight-hour for aging-yet-versatile workhorses such as Cold War-era relics now filling roles once reserved exclusively next-gen platforms postured against near-peer threats elsewhere globally…
Final section:
Geopolitically observers interpret messaging here about preferring political solutions over kinetic ones even if preserving deterrence via cheaper alternatives remains possible without sacrificing regional influence entirely given competing priorities vis-a-vis China across Indo-Pacific theater where great-power rivalry intensifies daily under current administration policies prioritizing long-term strategic rebalancing efforts above all else moving forward…
