A new satellite image showed a buildup of U.S. Air Force assets at Diego Garcia, a strategic American base in the Indian Ocean. The development comes as tensions are high across the Middle East and Indo-Pacific after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) for comment.

Why It Matters

Diego Garcia serves as a critical forward base for U.S. military operations stretching from the Middle East to Southeast Asia. Its remote location and extensive airfield make it a key launching point for long-range strike missions and rapid-response deployments.

The deployments at the base suggest a readiness for further military action in the region.

What To Know

The new satellite image revealed a U.S. aircraft presence at Diego Garcia that includes four B-52 strategic bombers, six F-15 fighter jets, and six KC-135 aerial refueling tankers, according to open-intelligence analyst MT Anderson on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Diego Garcia’s remote location—about 2,200 miles from Iran and 3,000 from southern China—provides a secure launch point for U.S. aircraft to conduct long-range missions and remain on station.

Significant movement of military equipment at the air base had been taking place since March with experts believing it could be a staging point for any attack on Iran.

In May, the U.S. Air Force announced that B-2 Spirit bombers had returned to Missouri after a deployment to Diego Garcia. On June 13, the U.S. launched a surprise overnight strike on three key Iranian nuclear facilities using B-2 stealth bombers that took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.

The overnight mission relied on deception, aerial refueling, and near-total radio silence to maintain secrecy and tactical surprise. Decoy flights toward the Pacific diverted attention from the actual eastward strike.

Codenamed Operation Midnight Hammer, seven B-2 bombers dropped over a dozen 30,000-pound bunker busters on deeply buried nuclear sites., making it the most ambitious U.S. stealth airstrike in decades. The bombers had also been used in striking Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen.

What People Are Saying

Air Marshall Greg Bagwell, former Royal Air Force deputy operations chief told BBC Verify in June: “You would be able to maintain a sustained operation from [Diego Garcia] far more efficiently. You could literally have them round the clock operating.”

What Happens Next

Diego Garcia’s assets remain well-positioned to respond swiftly should tensions in the Middle East or Indo-Pacific escalate, as a ceasefire between Israel and Iran remains fragile and U.S.-Iran diplomatic negotiations are stalled in post-conflict tensions.

Source: Newsweek