US B-52 bombers land in the Middle East amid tensions between Iran and Israel

US bombers have arrived in the Middle East as tensions rise over a possible further attack by Iran on Israel, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed early Sunday.

B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers from Minot Air Force Base's 5th Bomb Wing have arrived in the Middle East, CENTCOM said, without elaborating.

Pentagon officials had previously said B-52 long-range bombers as well as other destroyers, fighter squadrons and tankers would be deployed to the region to deter Iran and its militant allies.

The moves come ahead of Tuesday's U.S. presidential election and as the entire Middle East region is poised to become embroiled in a larger regional conflict over ongoing conflicts between Israel and Iran's proxies Hamas and Hezbollah in Gaza and Lebanon.

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CENTCOM shared a photo of a B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber in a social media post, confirming that the bombers arrived in the Middle East region early Sunday. (US Central Command (CENTCOM))

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened Israel and the United States on Saturday with a “devastating response” after Israeli strikes on Oct. 26 targeted military bases and other locations, killing at least five people in the Islamic Republic.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened the US and Israel on Saturday. (ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Image, File)

“The enemies, whether the Zionist regime or the United States of America, will certainly receive a devastating response to what they do to Iran, the Iranian nation and the resistance front,” Khamenei said in a video released by Iranian state media.

Iran claims it is capable of building nuclear weapons, while AYATOLLAH promises a “tooth-breaking” response to Israel and the US

Khamenei did not provide any information on when such an attack might take place or what its possible scale might be.

Iran had already launched two major direct attacks on Israel in April and again in October. In the latest attack, Iran fired nearly 200 ballistic missiles at targets in Israel.

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Meanwhile, the U.S. military last month sent Israel a U.S. missile defense system, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, with the aim of protecting Israel from possible Iranian attacks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.