In a display of international resolve, an American B-1B bomber escorted by fighter aircraft from four Middle East nations flew over the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which 20% of the worldwide supply of oil passes, Politico reports.
The flyover was a show of unity in the face of rising Iranian influence in the region as Iran seeks to re-engage in nuclear negotiations. The escorts–fighter jets from Bahrain, Egypt, Israel and Saudi Arabia–and the American B-1 continued their flight up to the Red Sea, its narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Egypt’s Suez Canal.
The show of force was meant to address rising tensions with Iran in the Persian Gulf area, as well as a show to pirate operating from the Red Sea and Arabian Sea. The fighters came from various bases in their home countries, while the B-1B flew from the 37th Bomb Squadron based at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota.