Bunker-busting bombs loaded onto US planes at UK airbase amid Iran war | US-Israel war over Iran news

The use of RAF Fairford by US forces highlights the UK’s increasingly active role in the US-Israeli war over Iran.

After three United States B-1B Lancer bombers touched down at RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom, it was believed to be the first American strike mission against Iran launched from a British base during the US-Israeli war over Iran.

An Al Jazeera team watched the plane return to base as ground crews carried fresh stocks of bunker-busting bombs, JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) guidance kits across the runway.

Since the US and Israel first attacked Iran on February 28, the UK has joined military operations to intercept retaliatory Iranian drone and missile attacks across the Middle East and has deployed additional assets to the eastern Mediterranean.

At the start of the war, UK Prime Minister Keir Stormer said the US had refused permission to use UK bases for attacks on Iran.

But on March 1, Stormer changed tack, saying Westminster had approved a US request to use British bases for “defensive purposes” to destroy Iranian missiles “at source” after a drone struck a British military base in Cyprus.

However, recent operations at RAF Fairford indicate a shift in munitions used in US bombing operations and highlight the more active role of British facilities in US strategic bombing operations.

The B-1B Lancer is a long-range strategic bomber capable of carrying large conventional payloads.

Bunker-busting bombs being manufactured at RAF Fairford are fitted with JDAM kits, converting bombs without guidance systems – such as the 500lb Mk-82, 1,000lb Mk-83 and 2,000lb Mk-84 – into a precision-guided, control-winged unit by adding a GPS-tail.

The kits can be attached to penetrator bombs like the BLU-109 used by Israel in the war on Gaza, allowing the aircraft to hit hard or underground targets.

Once implanted, the bomb can be programmed with target coordinates and guided, although it must usually be released closer to the target than long-range standoff missiles.

Most of the British public opposed the war

Members of the House of Commons Defense Select Committee were briefed on the use of British bases. Government officials have repeatedly spoken of a “defensive” approach.

On Monday, UK Defense Secretary John Healy said British forces had conducted defensive military operations against Iran since the first day of the war.

Meanwhile, polls indicate that most of the public opposes the war.

In a poll conducted by YouGov and published on Monday, only 10 percent of the British public polled “strongly support” US military action against Iran, with 37 percent saying they “strongly oppose” it.

In another YouGov poll released on Wednesday, 61 percent of the public said they thought the reasons for the US attack on Iran were “unclear”.