US to join Israel soon? Trump weighing deploying B-2 stealth bombers to destroy Fordo

Fears of a wider war in the Middle East grew sharply on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning after President Donald Trump called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender”, warned of the potential assassination of its supreme leader and repeatedly referred to Israel’s military campaign as “ours”, all signs suggesting that the United States may soon join the fight.

 

As the war between Israel and Iran entered its sixth day, the Trump administration appeared increasingly torn between its stated reluctance to enter another Middle East conflict and growing pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver a decisive blow to Iran’s nuclear capabilities. 

 

Sirens sounded in central Israel just after midnight on Wednesday as Iran launched a new wave of missiles, followed by Israeli airstrikes near Tehran. The Israeli military urged civilians to evacuate a major industrial zone in the Iranian capital, citing imminent strikes on military infrastructure.

 

Trump’s statements earlier on Tuesday hinted at a dramatic escalation. On Truth Social, he claimed the US knew the whereabouts of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and warned, “We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least for now.” He boasted of Israel’s air dominance, adding, “We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” a statement that closely aligned his administration with Israel’s ongoing offensive.

 

In a phone call later that afternoon, Trump and Netanyahu discussed military coordination, according to US officials. While the White House declined to provide details, Israeli media reported that Netanyahu reiterated his longstanding request for the US to use its bunker-busting bombs to target Iran’s deeply buried Fordo nuclear facility. Israel lacks both the aircraft and the weapons to strike such hardened sites, and has repeatedly sought American support to overcome this limitation.

 

Though Trump has previously opposed further military entanglement in the region, favouring diplomatic talks with Tehran, that position appears to be shifting. He chaired a national security meeting in the White House Situation Room on Tuesday, weighing options that include sending American aircraft to refuel Israeli jets, as well as deploying B-2 stealth bombers equipped with 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrators to destroy Fordo.

 

The decision comes amid deep divisions within Trump’s Republican Party. While some lawmakers echo Netanyahu’s warnings of an existential Iranian threat, others have urged caution, recalling Trump’s campaign pledge to end America’s “forever wars”. Within this internal rift, Trump is attempting to balance his image as a strongman with the political and strategic risks of direct confrontation.

 

His tone this week has oscillated. Initially cautious after Israel’s surprise opening strikes on Friday, Trump quickly shifted as Israeli operations began producing results. In private, he told allies that Netanyahu was trying to “drag” him into another Middle Eastern conflict, but later admitted that he found the Israeli military plans “ingenious” and might have no choice but to support them. After Netanyahu briefed him by phone and disclosed that Israeli special forces were already operating inside Iran, Trump told advisers, “I think we might have to help him.” 

 

Aides say the president now believes Tehran has been stalling negotiations, much like President Putin did over Ukraine. Trump has grown increasingly sceptical of Iran’s intentions, disputing the assessment by his own Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who recently testified that Iran was not actively building nuclear weapons. “I don’t care what she said,” he told reporters at the G7 summit in Canada on Tuesday. “I think they were very close to having them.”

 

Soon, in conversations with reporters, he has increasingly claimed a behind-the-scenes role in Israel’s campaign. One official said the president views Israeli success as a reflection of American strength, and now wants to be seen as a decisive factor in a historic confrontation.

 

Trump had cut his G7 trip short to return to Washington, underscoring the urgency of the crisis. By Tuesday, Trump began hinting publicly at a more assertive role. He shared a message from US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on social media, who praised him as “the most consequential President in a century – maybe ever”, adding that only his voice mattered now. “God spared you in Butler, PA... You did not seek this moment. This moment sought YOU!” the ambassador wrote. 

 

Trump used the moment to also lash out at commentator Tucker Carlson, who had warned against American involvement. “Somebody please explain to kooky Tucker Carlson that IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON,” Trump posted. The president also issued an urgent call for civilians to “immediately evacuate Tehran”, escalating concerns about a looming US air campaign.

 

American defence officials confirmed that the administration was preparing for possible military involvement. Around three dozen US refuelling aircraft have been sent to Europe and the Middle East, capable of supporting extended bombing runs or fighter jet escorts. Commanders have put over 40,000 American troops in the region on high alert, including bases in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Jordan.

 

American intelligence assessments indicate that Iran has mobilised missiles and other weapons to target US bases in Iraq, Syria and the Gulf if Washington joins Israel’s campaign. Two Iranian officials warned that any direct US role would trigger immediate retaliation, starting with American forces in Iraq. They also threatened to target any Arab countries that assist a joint Israeli-US assault, increasing fears of a wider regional war.

 

In Yemen, the Iran-backed Houthi militia has signalled it would resume Red Sea attacks on commercial shipping should the United States bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities. American officials have also raised concerns that Iran might begin mining the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for global oil transport, if provoked further.

 

By Tuesday evening, Israeli airstrikes had reportedly hit military sites in and around Tehran, targeting radar stations, missile depots and suspected nuclear facilities. Iranian officials confirmed some damage but denied that their nuclear programme had suffered significant setbacks. In a defiant social media post, Ayatollah Khamenei declared, “The battle begins.” In another message, he vowed, “We will show the Zionists no mercy.”

 

The crisis has now entered a perilous new phase. The question is no longer whether Israel and Iran are at war – but whether the United States is about to make it a much bigger one.

Middle East