Iraqi police stand near a poster of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. strike nearly a year ago. Tensions between Iran and the United States have escalated in recent weeks. The United States flew a pair of B-52 strategic bombers from a base in Louisiana to the Middle East on Thursday as a show of force against Iran, underscoring the U.S. military’s ability to defend itself and its allies in the region as tensions between Tehran and Washington escalate during the final days of the Trump administration. The B-52H “Stratofortresses,” long-range heavy bombers that can carry nuclear warheads or perform conventional missions, left Barksdale Air Force Base on a short-notice nonstop mission. U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said the mission was designed to demonstrate the U.S. military’s commitment to its regional partners and ability to deploy combat power rapidly to anywhere in […]