US bombers touch down in Britain as Trump's 'big' attack on Iran looms
President Trump warned earlier this week that the massive attack wave was coming, telling reporters: "We haven't even started hitting them hard. The big wave has not even happened."
US Air Force bombers have touched down in Britain after Donald Trump suggested an escalated attack on Iran, dubbed "the big one", is imminent.
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A B-1 aircraft was seen arriving at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday, with more bombers expected to arrive within hours.
Western officials confirmed on Wednesday that American aircraft were expected at the base within days and that Britain had given the green light to accepting them.
Eagle-eyed plane spotted a fleet of B-1s travelling from an Air Force base in Texas on Friday.
Read More: Iran war LIVE: Trump lays out terms for Iran's surrender as US bombers touch down in UK
The bombers cost up to $2 billion (£1.5 billion) each and carry some of the world most-deadly non-nuclear weapons aboard.
Sources have suggested that the "big one" could come as soon as Saturday - one week after the first salvos of the Iran war.
Trump warned earlier this week that the massive attack wave was coming, telling reporters: "We haven't even started hitting them hard. The big wave has not even happened."
On Thursday, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the "dramatic" increase in strikes will be helped by the use of RAF bases after a U-turn from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
"When we say more to come, it's more fighter squadrons, it's more capabilities, it's more defensive capabilities, and it's more bomber pulses more frequently," Mr Hegseth said.
Experts now believe that Trump could authorise the dropping of the 10-tonne 'Mother of All Bombs" on Iran.
Trump was the first US President under whom the MOAB was used when the US military dropped the massive ordinance on Afghanistan to kill 94 ISIS fighters in 2019.
The MOAB can create a crater of up to 100 feet, and has been sparingly used by Americans due to fears it could inadvertently harm civilians.
The US Air Force's website boasts that "the B-1 is a highly versatile, multi-mission weapon system,' the force's
"The B-1B's synthetic aperture radar is capable of tracking, targeting and engaging moving vehicles as well as self-targeting and terrain-following modes."
The new build up of hardware comes after Trump warned that he will only accept unconditional surrender from Iran.
The US President announced on his social media platform Truth Social that there "will be no deal with Iran" on Friday.
He added: "After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before."
Since the US and Israel launched the war on Saturday and killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran has unleashed thousands of drones and ballistic missiles targeting Israel, the UK and American military bases and embassies in the region, and energy facilities across the Persian Gulf.