Stealth Bomber Returns From Diego Garcia As U.S.-Iran Nuclear Talks Head To Fourth Round

Tyler Durden 2025.05.09 3 min read

An Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) account on X has identified flight tracking data indicating that a B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, recently deployed to Diego Garcia—the U.S. airbase often referred to as an “unsinkable aircraft carrier” located in the Indian Ocean—is returning or en route to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri.

While not officially confirmed, the timing and visibility of the B-2’s return flight may suggest deliberate signaling by U.S. military forces. The movement, coinciding with headlines regarding progressing nuclear talks with the U.S.-Iran, hints at the potential alignment between military posture and backchannel negotiations. Or this may have been a routine flight because stealth bombers aren’t built for prolonged exposure to salt air.

At 1130 ET, X user EISNspotter wrote on X that the stealth bomber was “heading home to Whiteman AFB after deployment to NSF Diego Garcia, working San Francisco Radio HF 8843.”

#LOOM11 flt (x3 B-2) heading home to Whiteman AFB after deployment to NSF Diego Garcia, working San Francisco Radio HF 8843. pic.twitter.com/SjYdhWAWJy

— EISNspotter 🇮🇪 (@EISNspotter) May 9, 2025

The timing of the B-2’s return closely aligns with Reuters reporting that Iran has agreed to a fourth round of indirect nuclear negotiations with the U.S., scheduled to take place in Oman on Sunday.

Iranian news outlet Tasnim offered more details on the upcoming talks: “Following a proposal by the Omani foreign minister to hold the fourth round of talks on Sunday, Tehran has announced its agreement,” adding, “The fourth round of Iran-U.S. talks in Oman has been finalised.”

In recent months, multiple open-source indicators—including flight tracking data and satellite imagery—have confirmed a U.S. military buildup of B-2s at Diego Garcia, a key U.S. airbase located in the Indian Ocean.

Trump, who previously withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has publicly threatened to bomb Iran if no new nuclear agreement is reached. However, during remarks about a U.S.-U.K. trade deal on Thursday, the president stated he “doesn’t want any big bombing” of Iran—signaling a potential shift or softening in tone on Tehran as the fourth round of talks begins on Sunday.