The U.S. has flexed its military muscle by deploying between five and seven B-2 “Spirit” stealth bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to Diego Garcia, a strategic Indian Ocean outpost just over 2,000 miles from Iran.

According to a U.S. official cited by Axios, this rare buildup is “not disconnected” from President Donald Trump’s two-month ultimatum to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued earlier this month, demanding a new nuclear deal or facing unspecified consequences.

The deployment, which began this week, includes a hefty logistical tail—satellite imagery shows at least three C-17 cargo planes and ten KC-135 refueling tankers arriving at the British-controlled island in the past 48 hours. With only 20 B-2s in the U.S. arsenal, sending up to a third of the fleet signals serious intent.

A U.S. Strategic Command spokesperson confirmed the move to Axios, noting it’s part of routine global operations to “deter and, if necessary, defeat strategic attacks,” though specifics remain under wraps.

Trump’s letter to Khamenei, delivered via the UAE three weeks ago, ties this show of force to his push to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The B-2s, capable of carrying the 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator for bunker-busting strikes, are uniquely suited to hit Iran’s fortified sites.

As Tehran responded through Oman on March 26, rejecting direct talks under Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign, the bombers’ arrival—beyond Iran’s missile reach—amps up the stakes in this high-wire standoff.