"The US Central Command (CENTCOM) deployed its long-range, multi-mission supersonic conventional bomber, Rockwell B-1 Lancer, as part of Operation Epic Fury to the Middle East region. Footage released by CENTCOM shows the heavy bomber soaring in the night sky. The exact date and location of the footage shared by CENTCOM cannot be independently verified. "B-1B Lancers - capable of carrying a payload of 75,000 pounds - have operated over the Middle East in support of Operation Epic Fury. Nicknamed the BONE, B-1Bs hold world records for speed, payload and range," reads the CENTCOM post on X. The B-1B deployment is part of the biggest US military buildup in the Middle East since 2003. The US has also deployed two carrier groups, including the USS Gerald R Ford in the eastern Mediterranean and the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, F-22 fighter jets in Israel and F-15E Strike Eagles in Jordan. US confirmed 13 of its military personnel have been killed in the conflict so far. The United States and Israel launched joint military operations against Iran on February 28, with President Trump vowing to "raze their missile industry to the ground". Tehran said it was responding with strikes on Israel and US assets in the region, with explosions reported in countries right across the Gulf region. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was confirmed dead in a strike on the first day. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has since been selected as his successor. Meanwhile, Trump said the new Iranian supreme leader would not 'last long' if elected without US approval. The escalating conflict has sent global energy prices soaring and led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which handles 20 per cent of global oil traffic."