U.S. Central Command said the U.S. Air Force B-52H "Stratofortress" aircrews conducted the mission on "short notice" to "deter aggression and reassure U.S. partners and allies."

"The ability to quickly move forces into, out of and around the theater to seize, retain and exploit the initiative is key to deterring potential aggression," said Lt. Gen. Greg Guillot, 9th Air Force commander.

"These missions help bomber aircrews gain familiarity with the region's airspace and command, and control functions and allow them to integrate with the theater's U.S. and partner air assets, increasing the combined force's overall readiness." 

President Trump's new acting defense secretary Christopher Miller announced Tuesday a drawdown of troops to 2,500 in Afghanistan and 2,500 in Iraq by Jan. 15 of next year. There are roughly 4,500 troops in Afghanistan and 3,000 in Iraq right now.