The US military's Central Command said on Thursday that it flew a B-52 long-range bomber over the Middle East on a training mission this week, on the same day Washington redesignated Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a terrorist organisation.
The B-52H Stratofortress from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, western England, flew across Europe and into the Centcom area of responsibility on Tuesday for a mission that included aerial refuelling and training opportunities with partner nations, said the US military.
Operations such as these are planned months in advance, but the mission coincided with the administration of US President Donald Trump redesignating the Iran-backed Houthis as a foreign terrorist organisation.
It also comes as the truce in Gaza between Hamas – whom the Houthis back – and Israel is under strain, and as the Houthis continue to target US assets. The rebel group shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper drone this week.
“We often project power into the region which could cause bad actors to think twice,” a US official told The National.
Centcom did not say which partner nations were involved in Tuesday's mission, but released photographs showing Israeli fighters accompanying the bomber.
Last month, B-52s arrived in Europe as part of a routine Bomber Task Force Europe deployment.
The Stratofortress has a range of 14,000km and can reach altitudes of 15,200m. The bomber, which dates from the 1950s, has become a symbol of US military power. It has been significantly upgraded during its 70 years of service.
Mr Trump first designated the Houthis as a terrorist organisation at the end of his previous term in 2021. This was revoked by Joe Biden's administration over concerns it would affect delivery of aid to Yemen.
Where to apply
Applicants should send their completed applications - CV, covering letter, sample(s) of your work, letter of recommendation - to Nick March, Assistant Editor in Chief at The National and UAE programme administrator for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism, by 5pm on April 30, 2020.
Please send applications to nmarch@thenational.ae and please mark the subject line as “Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism (UAE programme application)”.
The local advisory board will consider all applications and will interview a short list of candidates in Abu Dhabi in June 2020. Successful candidates will be informed before July 30, 2020.
The finalists
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
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TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
