B-1B Lancers conduct deep strikes in Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury

U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers conducted long-range strikes deep inside Iran on Sunday night, targeting ballistic missile facilities and command-and-control infrastructure as part of Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Central Command announced Monday.

“Last night, U.S. B-1 bombers struck deep inside Iran to degrade Iranian ballistic missile capabilities. As the President stated, ‘we’re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground,’” CENTCOM stated in a post on social media. The announcement was accompanied by declassified footage showing Lancers preparing for takeoff and conducting in-flight operations.

Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon on Monday that the combined impact of these and previous B-2 Spirit stealth bomber strikes had resulted in “the establishment of local air superiority.”

“This air superiority will not only enhance the protection of our forces but also allow them to continue the work over Iran,” Caine said.

Three B-1Bs flew ultra-long-range sorties, likely from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, per open-source tracking, though CENTCOM did not confirm the departure base. The mission required multiple aerial refuelings across the Atlantic and Mediterranean.

B-1B Lancers offer a payload capacity of 75,000 pounds of munitions, the largest conventional payload of any U.S. bomber. The platform’s primary standoff weapon is the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, capable of striking targets from hundreds of kilometers, though specific munitions used during this mission remain unconfirmed.

The B-1B made its combat debut conducting strikes in the Middle East during Operation Desert Fox in 1998, and most recently against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated targets in Iraq and Syria in February 2024.

The B-1 strikes followed B-2 Spirit stealth bomber operations the previous day against hardened underground facilities. CENTCOM reported Tuesday that more than 1,700 targets were struck in the first 72 hours of the operation, which launched early Saturday morning.