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By Amira El-Fekki
Middle East News Reporter
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New satellite imagery reveals a significant concentration of U.S. military aircraft and bombers on the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, including strategic B-52 bombers, KC-135 tankers, F-15 fighters and a C-5M heavy transport aircraft—a buildup signaling enhanced readiness for potential operations amid regional tensions.
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) for comment.
Why It Matters
Military deployment activity at the Diego Garcia air base has increased since March amid rising tensions with Iran and following President Donald Trump's order for military action against Iran's proxy Houthi group in Yemen.
Read More on U.S.
Although the U.S. and the Houthis reached a ceasefire agreement in May and nuclear talks with Iran have progressed, a failure to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons could still raise the risk of war. If Washington and Tehran clash, the remote base at Diego Garcia would likely play a key role for the U.S.
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What To Know
New satellite imagery shows the buildup of military aircraft on Diego Garcia, first spotted and analyzed by open-source intelligence analyst MT Anderson on X, formerly Twitter.
The U.S. Air Force recently ramped up its aerial refueling capabilities at the Diego Garcia base with KC-135 Stratotankers, in addition to the deployment of F-15 fighter jets and B-52 bombers.
The U.S. launched an intense campaign of airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen from March 15 until a ceasefire was reach on May 6.
B-2 bombers were replaced by B-52s, Reuters reported a week later citing U.S. officials. On May 21, the U.S. Air Force announced that B-2 Spirit bombers had returned to Missouri after a deployment to Diego Garcia.
While the remoteness of the island offers protection from adversaries, Iran has posed a growing threat in recent years with Tehran demonstrating missile and drone capabilities, including launchers in standard shipping containers.
Diego Garcia, the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago, part of the British Indian Ocean Territory, is over 2,000 miles away from Iran and has an air base that hosts Space Force operations and is a key port for U.S. Navy vessels. The U.S. will be allowed to continue using the base under a recent agreement between Britain and Mauritius handing over the sovereignty of the Chagos islands.
What People Are Saying
Commander Matthew Comer, Indo-Pacific Command spokesperson, previously Newsweek: "We have multi-layered defense systems on Diego Garcia that ensure the security and protection of our personnel and equipment."
What Happens Next
The U.S. and Iran are expected to hold a sixth round of talks in coming days to discuss further details related to a new nuclear agreement.
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