On BBC, Bryan Clark discusses the United Kingdom’s decision to allow the United States to use its bases, highlighting that these facilities host B-1 Lancer bombers capable of carrying the largest payloads deployable in the region. He emphasizes that access to these bases is essential for large-scale strikes along the coastline to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, while noting that a California-based unit will replace forces called in from Japan as part of a broader effort to rebalance US presence in the Indo-Pacific as the war in Iran continues.
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Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan, Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, and Indonesia's Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka during the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on November 22, 2025. (Getty Images)