Two American B-52H bombers fly 36-hours from Louisiana to the Persian Gulf in show-of-force mission to deter Iran from attacking US troops in the Middle East

Two U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers took off from the United States and flew over a swath of the Middle East on Thursday in what officials said was a direct message of deterrence to Iran. 

The show-of-force  flyover - the second such mission in less than a month - was designed to underscore America's continuing commitment to the Middle East even as President Trump's administration withdraws thousands of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The two B-52H bombers, assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing, departed from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana on Wednesday, flying non-stop for 36-hours to the Middle East.

The long-range journey took the heavy bombers across Europe, through the northern Red Sea, across Saudi Arabia and into the Persian Gulf for a north to south transit. 

The mission also included a counterclockwise loop around Qatar, all the time staying closer to the western side of the Arabian Gulf and outside Iranian airspace, NBC reported.

Gen. Frank McKenzie, the Central Command commander, said that 'potential adversaries should understand that no nation on earth is more ready and capable of rapidly deploying additional combat power in the face of any aggression.'

'We do not seek conflict,' he explained, 'but we must remain postured and committed to respond to any contingency or in opposition to any aggression.'

The two B-52H bombers (one shown above), assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing, departed from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana on Wednesday, flying non-stop for 36-hours to the Middle East

The two bombers were accompanied by aircraft from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar throughout portions of the flight.  

B-52H bombers, which are capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons, are a formidable sight and are flown less frequently in the Middle East than smaller combat aircraft, such as American fighter jets. 

Adversaries often complain about bomber flights in their region, deeming them a provocative show of force.

'The ability to fly strategic bombers halfway across the world in a non-stop mission and to rapidly integrate them with multiple regional partners demonstrates our close working relationships and our shared commitment to regional security and stability,' McKenzie said.

A Senior military official told NBC that the risk of miscalculation by the Iranians is 'higher than normal right now,' because of a number of factors, including the rocky transition of power between the Trump and Biden administrations, in addition to troop drawdowns elsewhere in the region.

'It doesn't mean that they're going to do something,' the source said. 'But, you know, we want to ensure that if they are contemplating some sort of an aggressive act, that they would they would think twice about it before they did it.

'Our approach right now is we recognize that there are some potentialities for Iranian miscalculations with respect to how they might behave towards the United States.'

The official continued by insisted that Iran and Iranian proxies are always plotting attacks.

'We're certainly aware of a number of different things that they are planning here and there. Some of them are closer to execution and more realistic than others. Some are more aspirational,' they said. 

B-52H bombers, which are capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons, are a formidable sight and are flown less frequently in the Middle East than smaller combat aircraft, such as American fighter jets

A Senior military official told NBC that the risk of miscalculation by the Iranians is 'higher than normal right now,' because of a number of factors, including the rocky transition of power between the Trump and Biden administrations

The troop cuts coupled with the impending departure of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group in the Gulf have fueled allies' concerns that the U.S. is abandoning the region. 

Those worries are compounded by fears that Iran may strike out at the U.S. or allies in retaliation for the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

Iran has blamed the death on Israel, which has been suspected in previous killings of Iranian nuclear scientists.

U.S. officials are also worried about a possible Iranian retaliatory strike on the first anniversary of the U.S. airstrike that killed Iran's top general, Qassem Soleimani, and senior Iraqi militia leaders near Baghdad´s airport in early January.

Iranian-backed militias routinely launch rockets near installations in Iraq where U.S. and Iraqi troops are based, and officials worry about a larger, more deadly assault.

Adding to the concerns is the presidential transition in the U.S. following Joe Biden's November victory over Trump. 

The official said Iran or other adversaries often believe the U.S. may be weaker or slower to respond during a political transition, which American officials flatly deny.

The senior military official said the bomber mission is 'to assure our regional partners' and 'part of that assurance with them is also deterring Iran.'

CENTCOM is setting 'an appropriate force posture that is defensive in nature, intended to deter the Iranians against taking any provocative actions so that if there are factions within the Iranian government that think this might be a time when they could act against us, they realize that we're still in a position of strength in the region and that taking those actions would not be the prudent thing to do,' the official told NBC.

The official continued by reiterating the mission was designed 'not to be overly provocative', only to demonstrate the U.S. is capable of 'moving addition forces here very quickly'.

'And so that's part of what our force presence is designed to do, is make the Iranians realize the stakes of what could be at play if those groups did attack ... during this period.' 

The flyover of the two strategic bombers - the second such mission in less than a month - was designed to underscore America's continuing commitment to the Middle East

The troop cuts coupled with the impending departure of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group in the Gulf have fueled allies' concerns that the U.S. is abandoning the region

U.S. officials are also worried about a possible Iranian retaliatory strike on the first anniversary of the U.S. airstrike that killed Iran´s top general, Qassem Soleimani , and senior Iraqi militia leaders near Baghdad´s airport in early January

Bomber deployments and short-term flights to the Middle East and Europe have been used in the past to message Iran, a few times in the last two years.

U.S. Bombers from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota flew a similar mission in late November.

The USS Nimitz, and as many as three other warships in its strike group, had been scheduled to head home by the end of the year, but they have been held in the region and no new timeline on the departure has been given. Officials, however, have made it clear that the ships' return hasn't been decided and the additional time in the Gulf area is open-ended.

The Pentagon announced last month that the U.S. will reduce troop levels in Iraq and Afghanistan by mid-January, asserting that the decision fulfills Trump´s pledge to bring forces home from America´s long wars. Under the accelerated pullout, the U.S. will cut the number of troops in Afghanistan from more than 4,500 to 2,500 and in Iraq from about 3,000 to 2,500.