The Office of the Governor of Guam has confirmed that no B-2 bombers were deployed to Guam as part of a recent U.S. military operation targeting Iran, despite early media reports suggesting otherwise. However, the island's role in the decoy maneuver and the lack of local consultation have renewed residents' concern about Guam’s strategic value and political vulnerability.
The clarification comes after speculation following a high-level briefing on June 22. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine confirmed that decoy flights — B-2s originating from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri — were launched across the Pacific to support the mission of striking against "three Iranian nuclear facilities."
"The U.S. employed several deception tactics — including decoys — as the fourth and fifth generation aircraft pushed out in front of the strike package at high altitude and high speed, sweeping in front of the package for enemy fighters and surface-to-air missile threats," Caine said.
Although Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard previously stated that Iran is "not building a nuclear weapon" in a testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee on March 25.
She added that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei "has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003."
"While initial media reports suggested several Northrop B-2 Spirit bombers were en route to Guam as part of the strike, senior Pentagon and White House officials later clarified that mission-critical B-2 Spirit bombers took off from Missouri to Iran," Rear Admiral Joshua Lasky confirmed to Governor Lou Leon Guerrero following the operation, according to a statement released Monday by Adelup.
Still, many in Guam say the operation, dubbed 'Midnight Hammer', once again highlights the island's role in U.S. military strategy without corresponding local authority or input.
Governor Leon Guerrero said she learned about the operation through media reports.
“There was no consultation with even the admirals here,” she said in an interview with KPRG. “Everything was held very closely to the White House.”
The governor acknowledged feeling anxious about the news but emphasized continued support for defense preparedness.
"We are in a geographic location that is very important in the defense of the United States for national security and in the defense of Guam, given the China-Taiwan political threats and the rising tension," she said. "To me, that is my greatest worry."
Leon Guerrero also called on residents to advocate for Guam’s political self-determination.
"We cannot have full control and authority of our island without our political status [and] self-determination," she said. "And that's what we need to do in order to be at a level where we get involved with consultations, we give our input, and so forth. We do not have that because we are a U.S. territory. We're not a sovereign nation. We're not a state."
For Chamorro activists like Maria Hernandez, co-director of the Micronesia Climate Change Alliance community group, the incident reignites concerns over transparency and the militarization of life on island.
“It’s definitely scary, especially for those of us who are mothers,” she said. "I feel like we're sort of used to it, in a way. It's actually a little bit depressing to think about."
Hernandez said the lack of local input reinforces the need for decolonization efforts and broader conversations about “genuine security," which centers residents' well-being, not just military strategy.
'We hear a lot about national security, and Guåhan being used in the interest of national security, but you know, we ask the question of, what truly is genuine security, and how can we attain that as a community," she said. "And genuine security does not look like our lands being used for bombing practice and 900 football fields of our land being cleared for military build-up projects."
Veterans are grappling with their own complex feelings. Roy Gamboa, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and the Guam Army National Guard, says many Chamorro service members face internal conflict.
"In some circles, I am this patriotic individual because I'm a veteran. I fought for the country, fought for my island," he said. "But at the same time, I'm also born and raised on this island [...] my family's lost land down at Naval Station at Sumay. Never going to see that land again."
The Department of Homeland Security has since updated its National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin, citing a heightened threat environment in light of the Israel-Iran conflict. While officials say there is no immediate threat to Guam, the Office of Homeland Security and the Office of Civil Defense Security (OHS-OCD), along with the Mariana Regional Fusion Center (MRFC), are urging residents to remain vigilant, especially against potential cyberattacks.
