B-2 stealth bombers expected to land at U.K. bases for Iran strikes

US stealth bombers are expected to land on British military bases within days to join the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, according to reports.

Citing unnamed senior Western officials, the Telegraph reported on Wednesday that air bases at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire were being prepared for the arrival of B-2 Spirit stealth bombers – the $2 billion strategic bomber is also known as the world’s most expensive aircraft.

The bombers are expected to land on British bases “within days” as Washington steps up operations in the region, the outlet reported.

As previously reported by Fox News Digital, the US military used B-2 stealth bombers to strike Iranian ballistic missile facilities on February 28 as part of the launch of Operation Epic Fury.

Diego Garcia is a strategic base in the Indian Ocean housing 2,500 American troops. (Reuters)

US Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that B-2 stealth bombers, equipped with 2,000-pound bombs, struck Iranian “hardened” ballistic missile sites.

The United States was authorized to use British bases for limited strikes against Iran’s missile capabilities on February 29 after Prime Minister Keir Starmer approved the plan and British Defense Secretary John Healey said Britain had “stepped up its efforts alongside the Americans.”

Starmer said the permission was granted to protect allies the UK and US as the conflict escalated. He had previously said he would not allow US forces to use British bases for offensive operations in the region.

Tensions have since been heightened in the UK by security incidents in Cyprus. RAF Akrotiri, a key British military base on the island, was struck by a suspected drone on March 2, causing minor damage.

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Several B-2 Spirit stealth bombers are seen on a runway at Whiteman Air Force Base. (Whiteman Air Force Base)

The unmanned aircraft would resemble an Iranian-made Shahed drone, similar to models used by Russia in Ukraine and by Tehran’s regional proxies.

The Ministry of Defense said force protection measures were at the “highest level” and the base had taken steps to defend personnel. Around 4,000 military personnel and their families are based at RAF Akrotiri.

The U.S. State Department has raised its travel advisory for Cyprus to Level 3, urging Americans to reconsider travel due to the threat of armed conflict and limited consular assistance in parts of the country.

Non-emergency embassy staff and their family members were allowed to leave. Officials said the change of heart reflected adjustments in embassy operations rather than a direct change in underlying risk.

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President Donald Trump blasted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on March 3, 2026, saying “we’re not dealing with Winston Churchill,” amid a lack of support for the joint US-Israeli military operation against Iran. (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images; PA Images via Getty Images; Jonathan Brady/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

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Trump had called Britain “uncooperative” and called Starmer “not Winston Churchill” after Starmer initially rejected a U.S. request to use British bases to attack Iran, according to the Associated Press.

Trump also condemned Britain’s deal to cede the Chagos Islands, home to the Diego Garcia base, to Mauritius.

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