B-1 bombers flew an overnight strike mission into Iran as the U.S. military said it is escalating efforts to hit the country’s ballistic missile infrastructure.
U.S. Central Command said Monday, March 2, 2026, that U.S. B-1 bombers “struck deep inside Iran to degrade Iranian ballistic missile capabilities,” a statement reported by The Times of Israel’s live updates.
CENTCOM’s message described the attack as part of a broader campaign that has included strikes on missile sites and other military targets since the weekend. Reuters has reported that the Pentagon calls the U.S. operation “Operation Epic Fury,” which began after President Donald Trump issued a “go order” on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, followed by large-scale airstrikes on Saturday, Feb. 28.
CENTCOM did not disclose the specific locations hit by the B-1 bombers, the weapons used, or an assessment of damage. Independent verification has been limited while combat operations continue and air defenses remain active across multiple countries in the region.
B-1 bombers strike deep inside Iran as targets focus on missiles
CENTCOM said the B-1 bombers struck late Sunday night into Monday, March 2, 2026, and framed the mission as a direct effort to reduce Iran’s ability to launch ballistic missiles. In its social media statement, CENTCOM also repeated a quote it attributed to President Trump about destroying Iran’s missile industry, language included in the same update carried by The Times of Israel.
The B-1 bombers mission is the latest in a series of U.S. actions that have focused on air defenses, missile launch infrastructure, and command-and-control nodes.
Reuters reported on Monday that U.S. officials said the campaign began with cyber and space-based disruptions and then moved into a strike phase involving more than 100 aircraft, alongside a simultaneous Israeli attack on Saturday, Feb. 28.
U.S. officials have not said whether the B-1 bombers mission was part of a single wave or coordinated with other aircraft and cruise missile strikes overnight. They also have not described whether the bombers operated inside Iranian airspace for the duration or relied on standoff weapons from outside key threat zones.
