HAGÅTÑA (Pacific Island Times/Pacnews) — Reports about the deployment of B-2 stealth bombers to Guam turned out to be part of the U.S military’s “deception tactics,” leading to strikes on Iran, but Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero said the island is out of harm’s way — at least for now.
The governor said her administration has been in close touch with Guam-based military leaders, Rear Admiral Brett Mietus and Rear Admiral Joshua Lasky, following the weekend strikes, dubbed “Operation Midnight Hammer,” that hit Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan at the height of the Iran-Israel crisis.
“Right now, there are no credible threats to our island, and we will do everything in our power to keep Guam safe,” the governor said.
Just the same, local leaders said Guam soldiers are in the wings in case they are called to duty.
“Guam is proud to support the men and women who serve our country and we feel the weight of that commitment every day as home to vital military installations,” Leon Guerrero said.
“While we stand by our troops and support our national security, we also remain committed to the values of peace and resilience,” Lt. Governor Josh Tenorio said.
At the White House, President Donald Trump hailed the mission as “successful,” warning of further strikes if Iran opts for retaliation.
“Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier,” the president said.
In a live-streamed press conference at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Operation Midnight Hammer “devastated the Iranian nuclear program.”
Gov. Leon Guerrero, for her part, said: “Our people have always been resilient in the face of uncertainty, and today, as we watch our nation take action overseas, that strength matters more than ever,”
She urged the people of the Guam “to stay calm and informed by official sources, to look out for one another, and to hold in our thoughts the troops, their loved ones and all innocent people caught in this conflict” and to “hope for diplomacy and peace — to believe that dialogue will prevail over destruction.”
Tenorio said prayers and preparedness must go hand in hand.
“As Guamanians, we understand the true cost of war — not just on the world stage, but here at home through the sacrifices of our service members, veterans and their families,” he said.
At the Pentagon press conference, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction.
“After proceeding quietly and with minimal communication for 18 hours from the U.S. to the target area, the first of seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers dropped two 30,000 GBU-57 massive ordnance penetrator bunker-buster bombs at the Fordo site yesterday at approximately 6:40 p.m. EDT,” Caine said.
He explained that the initial mission package also included several decoy aircraft that flew west over the Pacific Ocean as “a deception effort known only to an extremely small number of planners and key leaders here in Washington.”
Caine warned that any retaliation by Iran or its proxies would be an incredibly poor choice.
