US B-52s Fly Over Iranian Airspace for First Time

United States military forces have begun flying B-52 Stratofortress bombers directly over Iranian airspace for the first time since the conflict erupted in late February, a development officials attribute to significant degradation of Iran's air defenses after more than a month of airstrikes.

The shift, announced Tuesday by Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a Pentagon briefing, marks a tactical evolution in the U.S.-led campaign known as Operation Epic Fury. "Given the increase in air superiority, we've successfully started to conduct the first overland B-52 missions," Caine said, noting that the operations allow forces to target dynamic threats more effectively. The bombers, which previously launched standoff munitions from outside Iranian territory, are now deploying precision-guided gravity bombs on sites within the country, including underground ballistic missile facilities, drone production plants, and naval assets.

The campaign, which began on February 28 with joint U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has focused initially on dismantling Tehran's air defense network. U.S. and Israeli...