Proposed U.S. Bill Seeks to Authorise B-2 Bomber Access for Israel Against Iranian Nuclear Threat
Congress eyes unprecedented operational cooperation amid fears of Iran's underground nuclear expansion
In a move laden with strategic significance, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has tabled legislation in the House of Representatives that would authorise the President to grant Israel operational access to America&rsquo;s most advanced stealth bomber&mdash;the Northrop Grumman <a title="US" href="https://www.benefitnews24.com/international/trump-threatens-more-strikes-after-hitting-iran-nuke-sites/14522" target="_blank" rel="noopener">B-2 Spirit</a>t&mdash;alongside GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker-busting munitions, should Iran be found pursuing nuclear weaponisation.
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The bill, spearheaded by Representatives Josh Gottheimer (D&ndash;New Jersey) and Mike Lawler (R&ndash;New York), underscores Washington&rsquo;s deepening military commitment to <a title="Israel" href="https://www.benefitnews24.com/international/iran-israel-ceasefire-follows-midnight-missile-barrage/14762" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tel Aviv</a> in light of persistent concerns over Tehran&rsquo;s alleged subterranean nuclear programme. While it stops short of a full transfer of either platforms or ordnance, the legislation envisions joint operational deployment, mission-specific equipment sharing, and bilateral training modules&mdash;marking an unprecedented level of interoperability between the U.S. Air Force and the Israeli Air Force (IAF).
Critically, the legislation proposes that the President may greenlight such measures only upon submitting a formal justification to Congress, certifying that (1) Iran poses an imminent nuclear threat, and (2) Israel possesses no other feasible capability to neutralise Iran&rsquo;s fortified underground facilities.
The timing of the bill follows recent events surrounding Operation Midnight Hammer, a previously classified U.S. military strike wherein B-2 Spirits were deployed to neutralise suspected Iranian nuclear assets. These stealth platforms, capable of penetrating sophisticated radar networks and delivering MOPs against deeply buried targets, were instrumental in targeting reinforced Iranian sites believed to be housing centrifuge operations and enriched uranium stockpiles.
President Trump, who authorised the strikes in a covert directive days before execution, later declared that Iran&rsquo;s nuclear facilities had been &ldquo;obliterated.&rdquo; Though U.S. officials have yet to disclose full operational damage assessments, satellite imagery and regional intelligence suggest considerable degradation to key facilities near Natanz and Fordow.
The fallout from the strikes, however, has not been universally welcomed in Washington. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a cautionary statement noting that such escalation risks American diplomatic assets across the Middle East and may trigger retaliatory responses from Tehran and its proxies.
Still, the proposed bill has generated significant traction among defence hawks in both parties, many of whom argue that Israel must be prepared to act independently should the Iranian threat resurface. &ldquo;This legislation doesn&rsquo;t just reaffirm Israel&rsquo;s right to self-defence&mdash;it institutionalises America&rsquo;s operational alignment in one of the most dangerous security theatres of the 21st century,&rdquo; a Congressional aide familiar with the bill&rsquo;s language remarked.
The B-2 Spirit, central to the proposal, remains the most survivable long-range strike asset in the U.S. inventory. With its flying wing design, low radar cross-section, and extended combat radius, it is uniquely qualified to carry out precision strikes in contested airspace. Paired with the 30,000-pound GBU-57 MOP&mdash;a munition specifically engineered to defeat deeply buried and hardened targets&mdash;the B-2 forms a critical component of any strategy aimed at pre-emptively neutralising hardened nuclear infrastructure.
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Should the bill pass, Israel would likely become the first foreign military force ever granted direct operational access to the B-2 platform under U.S. supervision, albeit temporarily and under presidential certification of national security necessity. Defence analysts note that this could serve as both a deterrent to Iranian aggression and a signal to adversaries of America&rsquo;s enduring strategic alignment with its regional allies.
As the legislation proceeds through committee scrutiny, the defence community will be watching closely&mdash;not only for its legal ramifications, but for what it signals about the future of allied strike cooperation in a rapidly shifting global threat environment.

U.S. bill seeks unprecedented B-2 bomber access for Israel to counter Iran's nuclear threat

Congress Proposes B-2 Access to Israel for Iran Strike

U.S. bill seeks unprecedented B-2 bomber access for Israel to counter Iran's nuclear threat

July 3, 2025 | 11:34 IST