July 23, 2026
Jack Davis
B-1 bombers have returned to the sky over Iran as the United States seeks to pound Iran into releasing its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
Jack Davis
B-1 bombers have returned to the sky over Iran as the United States seeks to pound Iran into releasing its grip on the Strait of Hormuz.
The B-1 was used
Tuesday in strikes on Iran, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Those missions were the first time the long-range bomber was used since fighting resumed with Iran, according to Axios.
The B-1, designed to replace the B-52, has unique capabilities. It can carry two dozen 2,000-pound bombs or dozens of cruise missiles, the largest payload of any U.S. bomber.
The B-1 is also designed to be supersonic at low altitudes.
The B-1 that attacked Iran flew from a base in the United Kingdom, Axios reported.
The use of the B-1 came as President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing his options, hoping that talks with Iran produce more than they did before or launching a major military action.
The B-1 was used early in the war, according to U.S. Central Command.
“U.S. B-1 bombers take off to support Operation Epic Fury, March 1, 2026,” CENTCOM said in a post on its website showing a B-1 taking off from an undisclosed location.
The B-1 has been in service for 41 years, as noted by U.S. Strategic Command, which called it “the backbone of America's long-range bomber force, rapidly delivering massive quantities of precision and non-precision weapons against any adversary, anywhere in the world, on demand.”
“For decades, the B-1 has been the foundation of our long-range strike capability,” Lt. Col. Brian Guyette, 28th Bomb Squadron commander, said.
The first B-1 went into service in 1985.
“The B-1 is an incredible aircraft. It brings unmatched versatility and firepower to the fight,” Lt. Col. Ryan Stillwell, 9th Bomb Squadron commander, said. “Here at the 9th, we’ve demonstrated the B-1’s ability to rapidly deliver munitions across the globe, consistently showing up for our allies and partners.”
“The B-1’s ability to deploy quickly, operate at supersonic speeds and carry the largest conventional payload makes it inherently unpredictable to adversaries and a flexible combat asset,” he said.
“Whether it’s integrating with our allies or responding to our adversaries, the B-1 enables a forward presence alongside critical strategic reach. Our adversaries never know when or where a B-1 will show up, but they all know exactly what it can do when it does,” he continued.
U.S.-based B-1s were used in 2025 to hit targets in Syria and Iraq.
“When it comes to penetrating enemy defenses and delivering the final blow before coming right back home again, there is no aircraft or crews finer than the B-1 and the Airmen that support them,” Col. Seth Spanier, 7th Bomb Wing commander, said.
“With in-flight refueling and advanced targeting capabilities, we can ensure bombs hit their target and aircrews return safely, all without the need for forward basing. It's a proven model; our adversaries know it, and our Airmen demonstrate it. The B-1 has always been and remains a testament to the dominance of U.S. airpower,” he said.
Danielle Greyman-Kennard
The Islamic Republic’s plan to increase truck trade with Pakistan to 2,000 vehicles per day will “ease the squeeze” of the United States’ blockade of the Strait of Hormuz “without coming close to neutralizing it,” counterterrorism analyst Roger Macmillan told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni announced the trade advancement on Wednesday, telling the semi-official IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency that the two countries made an agreement that aims to “raise the current level of bilateral trade from $3 billion to at least $10 billion.”
“Achieving this requires improved infrastructure. At a minimum, 2,000 trucks should cross the border daily, whereas the current volume is only about 20% of that target,” he told the site, adding that a new border crossing would be opened in the Kuhak region to facilitate the trade.
Cross-border travel, infrastructure to be increased under new agreement
The two countries would also improve infrastructure at the existing Rimdan border crossing, he added.
“Both sides also expressed readiness to increase agricultural trade alone to $5 billion. This will require improvements in infrastructure, such as building cold storage facilities on both sides of the border, and the necessary agreements have been reached. I believe this was one of our most successful visits,” Momeni said.
The agreement also means Iranian and Pakistani trucks will be permitted to operate across each other's territory.
Though the increase in trade is a “genuine reprieve” from the economic fallout of the Strait of Hormuz, Macmillan said it offers Iran less breathing room than what “headlines might suggest.”
“The overland corridors Islamabad has opened through Gwadar, Karachi, and Port Qasim into Iran via Gabd and Taftan are moving at a real volume, and Tehran is now pushing for a capacity of up to 2,000 trucks a day. That matters for clearing the backlog of stranded cargo and keeping consumer goods and third-country trade flowing,” he admitted, adding that it still “doesn’t touch Iran’s core problem, which is crude export revenue through Hormuz. This is a goods corridor, not an oil corridor, so it eases the squeeze without coming close to neutralizing it.”
Washington's silence on expansion of Trade
What is of greater interest, Macmillan said, is “Washington’s silence” on the expanded trade.
“Under normal sanctions logic, the US would be expected to lean hard on Pakistan for facilitating this kind of trade with Iran. Instead, there’s been no formal objection, and Trump’s only comment was that he ‘knows everything about it,’” he explained. “That restraint isn’t an accident. Pakistan is simultaneously acting as the principal broker of the US-Iran ceasefire talks, including the Burgenstock meeting, and Washington needs Islamabad’s credibility there more than it needs to punish a road corridor. Pakistan has effectively bought itself room to hedge.”
Pakistani diplomatic sources told The National’s Sulaiman Hakemy in May that Islamabad had calculated in advance that its relationship with the Trump administration and its role as a mediator would dissuade Washington from imposing sanctions on Pakistan.
Hakemy noted that the Chinese investment in Gwadar had faced significant criticism for years, as the corridor’s cargo activity has failed to justify its costs. However, the crossing is located very close to Iran’s Chabahar Port. Under the third-country rule of the Statutory Regulatory Order, goods can arrive in Gwadar from any country and then enter Iran by road.
However, Pakistan is obligated under the current sanctions to ensure that goods entering Iran are neither restricted nor destined for sanctioned individuals, which is a difficult task. Sources told The National journalist that they were not anticipating any consequences against the country, especially given their role as a mediator.
Iran strengthening ties with Iraq
Outside of its trade agreement with Pakistan, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi confirmed that officials from Iraq would be visiting Iran on Thursday to “discuss files of common interest, bilateral cooperation, and consultation on regional issues.”
“Today, we are heading to Tehran on an official visit and will meet with high-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran to launch joint economic cooperation dossiers and bilateral collaboration, as well as discuss regional issues and efforts to promote security and stability in the region,” he confirmed. “Iraq and Iran are bound by historical, cultural, geographical, and mutual interests, which necessitates continued work with a spirit of dialogue, cooperation, and mutual respect, in a manner that fosters sustained development and prosperity for the people of both countries and contributes to supporting security and stability at both regional and international levels.”
According to the Iraqi Shefaq news, trade between Iran and Iraq approached $12 billion in 2024, and Iraq was ranked second among Iran’s top export destinations in 2026, importing $7.917 billion in goods.
Those missions were the first time the long-range bomber was used since fighting resumed with Iran, according to Axios.
The B-1, designed to replace the B-52, has unique capabilities. It can carry two dozen 2,000-pound bombs or dozens of cruise missiles, the largest payload of any U.S. bomber.
The B-1 is also designed to be supersonic at low altitudes.
The B-1 that attacked Iran flew from a base in the United Kingdom, Axios reported.
The use of the B-1 came as President Donald Trump is reportedly weighing his options, hoping that talks with Iran produce more than they did before or launching a major military action.
The B-1 was used early in the war, according to U.S. Central Command.
“U.S. B-1 bombers take off to support Operation Epic Fury, March 1, 2026,” CENTCOM said in a post on its website showing a B-1 taking off from an undisclosed location.
The B-1 has been in service for 41 years, as noted by U.S. Strategic Command, which called it “the backbone of America's long-range bomber force, rapidly delivering massive quantities of precision and non-precision weapons against any adversary, anywhere in the world, on demand.”
“For decades, the B-1 has been the foundation of our long-range strike capability,” Lt. Col. Brian Guyette, 28th Bomb Squadron commander, said.
The first B-1 went into service in 1985.
“The B-1 is an incredible aircraft. It brings unmatched versatility and firepower to the fight,” Lt. Col. Ryan Stillwell, 9th Bomb Squadron commander, said. “Here at the 9th, we’ve demonstrated the B-1’s ability to rapidly deliver munitions across the globe, consistently showing up for our allies and partners.”
“The B-1’s ability to deploy quickly, operate at supersonic speeds and carry the largest conventional payload makes it inherently unpredictable to adversaries and a flexible combat asset,” he said.
“Whether it’s integrating with our allies or responding to our adversaries, the B-1 enables a forward presence alongside critical strategic reach. Our adversaries never know when or where a B-1 will show up, but they all know exactly what it can do when it does,” he continued.
U.S.-based B-1s were used in 2025 to hit targets in Syria and Iraq.
“When it comes to penetrating enemy defenses and delivering the final blow before coming right back home again, there is no aircraft or crews finer than the B-1 and the Airmen that support them,” Col. Seth Spanier, 7th Bomb Wing commander, said.
“With in-flight refueling and advanced targeting capabilities, we can ensure bombs hit their target and aircrews return safely, all without the need for forward basing. It's a proven model; our adversaries know it, and our Airmen demonstrate it. The B-1 has always been and remains a testament to the dominance of U.S. airpower,” he said.
Danielle Greyman-Kennard
The Islamic Republic’s plan to increase truck trade with Pakistan to 2,000 vehicles per day will “ease the squeeze” of the United States’ blockade of the Strait of Hormuz “without coming close to neutralizing it,” counterterrorism analyst Roger Macmillan told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.
Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni announced the trade advancement on Wednesday, telling the semi-official IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency that the two countries made an agreement that aims to “raise the current level of bilateral trade from $3 billion to at least $10 billion.”
“Achieving this requires improved infrastructure. At a minimum, 2,000 trucks should cross the border daily, whereas the current volume is only about 20% of that target,” he told the site, adding that a new border crossing would be opened in the Kuhak region to facilitate the trade.
Cross-border travel, infrastructure to be increased under new agreement
The two countries would also improve infrastructure at the existing Rimdan border crossing, he added.
“Both sides also expressed readiness to increase agricultural trade alone to $5 billion. This will require improvements in infrastructure, such as building cold storage facilities on both sides of the border, and the necessary agreements have been reached. I believe this was one of our most successful visits,” Momeni said.
The agreement also means Iranian and Pakistani trucks will be permitted to operate across each other's territory.
Though the increase in trade is a “genuine reprieve” from the economic fallout of the Strait of Hormuz, Macmillan said it offers Iran less breathing room than what “headlines might suggest.”
“The overland corridors Islamabad has opened through Gwadar, Karachi, and Port Qasim into Iran via Gabd and Taftan are moving at a real volume, and Tehran is now pushing for a capacity of up to 2,000 trucks a day. That matters for clearing the backlog of stranded cargo and keeping consumer goods and third-country trade flowing,” he admitted, adding that it still “doesn’t touch Iran’s core problem, which is crude export revenue through Hormuz. This is a goods corridor, not an oil corridor, so it eases the squeeze without coming close to neutralizing it.”
Washington's silence on expansion of Trade
What is of greater interest, Macmillan said, is “Washington’s silence” on the expanded trade.
“Under normal sanctions logic, the US would be expected to lean hard on Pakistan for facilitating this kind of trade with Iran. Instead, there’s been no formal objection, and Trump’s only comment was that he ‘knows everything about it,’” he explained. “That restraint isn’t an accident. Pakistan is simultaneously acting as the principal broker of the US-Iran ceasefire talks, including the Burgenstock meeting, and Washington needs Islamabad’s credibility there more than it needs to punish a road corridor. Pakistan has effectively bought itself room to hedge.”
Pakistani diplomatic sources told The National’s Sulaiman Hakemy in May that Islamabad had calculated in advance that its relationship with the Trump administration and its role as a mediator would dissuade Washington from imposing sanctions on Pakistan.
Hakemy noted that the Chinese investment in Gwadar had faced significant criticism for years, as the corridor’s cargo activity has failed to justify its costs. However, the crossing is located very close to Iran’s Chabahar Port. Under the third-country rule of the Statutory Regulatory Order, goods can arrive in Gwadar from any country and then enter Iran by road.
However, Pakistan is obligated under the current sanctions to ensure that goods entering Iran are neither restricted nor destined for sanctioned individuals, which is a difficult task. Sources told The National journalist that they were not anticipating any consequences against the country, especially given their role as a mediator.
Iran strengthening ties with Iraq
Outside of its trade agreement with Pakistan, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi confirmed that officials from Iraq would be visiting Iran on Thursday to “discuss files of common interest, bilateral cooperation, and consultation on regional issues.”
“Today, we are heading to Tehran on an official visit and will meet with high-ranking officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran to launch joint economic cooperation dossiers and bilateral collaboration, as well as discuss regional issues and efforts to promote security and stability in the region,” he confirmed. “Iraq and Iran are bound by historical, cultural, geographical, and mutual interests, which necessitates continued work with a spirit of dialogue, cooperation, and mutual respect, in a manner that fosters sustained development and prosperity for the people of both countries and contributes to supporting security and stability at both regional and international levels.”
According to the Iraqi Shefaq news, trade between Iran and Iraq approached $12 billion in 2024, and Iraq was ranked second among Iran’s top export destinations in 2026, importing $7.917 billion in goods.
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