E-4B Nightwatch Circles Offutt AFB Amid Iran Ceasefire Rejection

A U.S. Air Force Boeing E-4B Nightwatch aircraft, known as the National Airborne Operations Center, circled Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on Monday, drawing attention amid escalating tensions in the Middle East. The flight occurred as Iran rejected a proposed ceasefire that could have led to broader peace talks, hours before a deadline set by President Donald Trump for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Flight tracking data showed the heavily modified Boeing 747 departing Offutt at 10:17 a.m. ET, completing at least six loops over the base before heading east toward Strahan, a town about 40 miles away. The E-4B serves as an airborne command post for senior officials, including the president, vice president and secretary of defense, during national emergencies. Designed to withstand nuclear blasts and electromagnetic pulses, the aircraft enables coordinated responses in extreme scenarios. At least one E-4B remains on constant alert, and Offutt, home to U.S. Strategic Command, houses the fleet.

Military officials described the Monday flight as a routine training exercise to maintain crew proficiency. The maneuvers included repeated low approaches to the base's runways...