American B-52 bombers land in Qatar over unspecified Iran threat

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The B-52 bombers ordered by the White House to deploy to the Persian Gulf to counter unspecified threats from Iran are beginning to arrive at a major American air base in Qatar.

Images released by the US Air Force show B-52H Stratofortress bombers arriving at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Thursday. Others landed at an undisclosed location Wednesday.

The Air Force identified the aircraft as coming from the 20th Bomb Squadron of Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.

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On Sunday, the White House announced it would send the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and the bombers to counter Tehran.

In this Thursday, May 9, 2019 photograph released by the US Air Force, a B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron is seen through night vision coming in for a landing at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar (Staff Sgt. Ashley Gardner, US Air Force via AP)

On Wednesday, Iran announced it would begin backing away from its nuclear deal with world powers, a year after US President Donald Trump pulled America from the accord.

On Thursday US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo put off a visit to Greenland, citing pressing business in Washington — just two days after he also ditched a trip to Germany to fly to Iraq amid soaring tensions with Iran.