U.S. Air Force B-1 bombers “struck deep inside Iran” overnight to dismantle still more of Iran’s ballistic-missile capabilities, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) tweeted on Monday.
The B-1 is a heavy bomber with up to a 75,000-pound payload. It carries the largest conventional payload of both guided and unguided weapons in the U.S. Air Force.
“The multi-mission B-1 is the backbone of America’s long-range bomber force,” the U.S. Air Force website said. “It can rapidly deliver massive quantities of precision and non-precision weapons against any adversary, anywhere in the world, at any time.”
“As the president stated, ‘We’re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground,’” CENTCOM said.
The bomber’s use in “Operation Epic Fury” signifies a return to Middle East combat operations, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The B-1 was first used in combat during “Operation Desert Fox” in Iraq in 1998, and later supported U.S. operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, including “Operation Enduring Freedom” and “Operation Iraqi Freedom.”
Last night, U.S. B-1 bombers, struck deep inside Iran to degrade Iranian ballistic missile capabilities. As the President stated, "we're going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground." pic.twitter.com/tIkIo5ugWv
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 2, 2026
In a testament to the size of its payload, in the first six months of “Enduring Freedom,” eight B-1s delivered nearly 40% of the total bomb tonnage delivered by coalition air forces, according to the U.S. Air Force.
In “Iraqi Freedom,” it dropped 43% of the Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) used while flying less than 1% of the combat missions.
