US B-52 Bombers Headed To Iran As Trump Deadline Set To Expire? Viral Clip Fuels Speculation

Last Updated:April 08, 2026, 02:28 IST

US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers reportedly took off from a base in the United Kingdom as Trump's deadline for Iran attacks was nearing an end.

US Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers have reportedly taken off from the United Kingdom and could be within striking distance of Iran as President Donald Trump’s deadline for Iran is set to expire within hours, as per reports.

A viral video on social media showed the US B-52 bombers taking off from the RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom and were reportedly heading towards the Gulf region, with an estimated combat flight time of seven hours, placing them in striking range of Iran by 8 pm ET on Tuesday.

The B-52 Stratofortress bombers are nuclear-capable fighter jets, which can carry up to 70,000 pounds (32,000 kg) of weapons and possess a combat range of around 8,800 miles without aerial refuelling. It is capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet (15,166 m).

The B-52 can carry nuclear or precision-guided conventional ordnance with worldwide precision navigation capability. They can also carry gravity bombs, cluster bombs, precision guided missiles and joint direct attack munitions.

Last week, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed that the United States was flying B-52 bombers directly over Iranian territory for the first time since the war began. The decision to fly B-52s directly over Iran signifies the American military’s confidence that it has largely destroyed Iran’s capability to take down the lumbering bombers, according to The New York Times.

The latest development came as Trump escalated his aggressive rhetoric toward Iran, warning of catastrophic consequences if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz by the imposed deadline. “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

In response, Iran has threatened retaliation against US allies in the Gulf, raising fears of a wider regional conflict. As the deadline approached, strikes intensified, with reports of attacks on bridges, transport links, an airport and a petrochemical facility, including key targets on Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub.

Iran threatened to escalate further, saying it would no longer hold back from striking Gulf infrastructure and claiming fresh attacks on a vessel in the Gulf and a major Saudi petrochemical complex. Despite the escalating war, backchannel communications were reportedly active between the US and Iran to end the war.

News world US B-52 Bombers Headed To Iran As Trump Deadline Set To Expire? Viral Clip Fuels Speculation

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