The New York Times reports that several bombers have taken off from the base in Missouri in the United States. Several tanker planes, which can refuel other aircraft in the air, accompanied the bombers.

Several US B-2 bombers appear to be in the air and heading west from the US over the Pacific Ocean, at the same time that President Trump is scheduled to return to the White House late Saturday afternoon from New Jersey.

Six of the bombers are said to have taken off, according to Fox News. The channel writes that the planes probably flew without full fuel tanks due to heavy cargo, which could be the US super bomber, which is said to be able to penetrate 60 meters into the ground.

The bombers are believed to be heading towards one of the US bases in Guam in the Pacific, and potentially to the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, which would be within bombing range of Iran, writes Reuters.

Donald Trump is now considering whether the United States should join Israel's attempt to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, according to the American newspaper.

He is scheduled to receive intelligence briefings with the National Security Council on Saturday and Sunday as he considers possible measures against Iran.

- Only the US can do it

Mark Dubowitz, executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, spoke to Fox News Saturday.

"Destroying the underground Fordow nuclear facility in Iran from the air is a job only the United States can do," says Dubowitz.

The facility has been described as almost impossible to hit from the air.

It is located deep in the mountains near the city of Qom, in central Iran. The facility is estimated to be 80-90 meters underground, well protected from air attacks.

Jonathan Ruhe, foreign policy director for the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), explains that the bombs carried in the B-2 aircraft are designed to use the force of gravity to penetrate all mixtures of soil, rock and concrete before the bomb itself explodes underground.

Below you can see a video of the bombs that can be carried in the B-2 aircraft.

- Destroys or damages the target

"The explosion can either destroy the target or damage the structure around the target without necessarily destroying it completely," says Ruhe.

Although the United States has not taken direct military action in the conflict, the State Department announced sanctions against Tehran on Friday, despite US Secretary of State Marco Rubio initially trying to distance himself from the conflict between Jerusalem and Iran.

The sanctions were imposed on eight companies and one individual for their involvement in the procurement and shipment of proliferation-sensitive equipment from China to Iran's defense industry.

Timeline of the Israel–Iran War

Israel launched an attack on Iran on the night of Friday, June 13. A few hours later, Iran launched a counterattack. So far, at least 224 people have been killed in Iran and at least 24 in Israel, according to official figures.

Wednesday, June 11:

•  The US is recalling US embassy personnel from Iraq, Bahrain and Kuwait, all countries with US military bases.

Thursday, June 12:

• Several American media outlets are reporting that Israel will attack Iran soon. The sources claim that it will happen without US support.
• Iran says it has accelerated a planned military exercise, as a result of hostile movements.
• US President Donald Trump says that an Israeli attack may well come and that it could lead to a massive conflict.

Friday, June 13:

• Israel begins its attacks on Iran at 2:00 a.m. Norwegian time. Over 200 fighter jets participate in the several-hour attack, which targets Iran's nuclear energy and research program, military facilities and several apartment buildings. The attacks continue throughout the day and evening, hitting several oil and gas facilities, among others.
• Among the nearly 80 killed are the leader of the powerful Revolutionary Guard Hossein Salami and Defense Chief Mohammad Bagheri. Four nuclear scientists are also killed. The attacks are the largest on Iranian soil since the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s.
• Israel declares a state of emergency and closes embassies around the world.
• US President Donald Trump calls the attacks excellent and says there are many more to come.
• Iran retaliates on Friday evening, firing over 100 missiles at Israel. Most are stopped by Israeli air defenses, but explosions are reported in both Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Nine buildings are destroyed in Ramat Gab, a suburb of Tel Aviv.
• The United States is helping Israel shoot down Iranian missiles, according to American sources.
• Trump speaks to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the phone.
• Netanyahu urges the population to stand up to the Iranian regime.
• The UN Security Council holds an emergency meeting at the request of Iran.
• France postpones a planned high-level conference on Palestine at the UN.

Saturday, June 14:

• Israel and Iran continue the attacks.
• Around 70 Israeli fighter jets attack over 40 targets in Tehran. A giant gas field is set on fire in southern Iran. A total of 18 Iranian provinces are affected by the attacks, according to the Red Crescent.
• Several rounds of Iranian missile attacks hit targets in Israel, including apartment buildings. The main Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv is closed indefinitely.
• Sunday's nuclear talks between Iran and the US in Oman are canceled.Trump speaks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone.

Sunday, June 15:

• Israel and Iran continue airstrikes.
• The Revolutionary Guards' intelligence chief Mohammad Kazemi and two other Iranian generals are killed. Iran states that Israel has attacked the Foreign Ministry in Tehran.
• The US-based human rights group Human Rights Activist reports that over 400 Iranians have been killed and over 650 wounded in the Israeli attacks since Friday.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war could end in regime change in Iran.

Monday, June 16:

• The attacks continue for the fourth day in a row.
• In Israel, Tel Aviv and Haifa are among the cities hit. At least eight people are killed and over 90 are injured.
• Israel says it has attacked the Revolutionary Guard command centers in Tehran and destroyed 120 Iranian missile launchers – a third of the total.
• Netanyahu asks residents to evacuate Tehran and says Israel controls the airspace over the capital.
• Iran asks the UN Security Council to condemn Israel's attacks. In a speech to Iran's National Assembly, President Masoud Pezeshkian asks the population to stand united against what he calls genocidal and criminal attacks.
• Iran reports that they are preparing a bill for Iran to withdraw from the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

Other consequences:

The war broke out two days before the United States and Iran were scheduled to meet for a sixth round of negotiations in Oman over Iran's nuclear program, which Israel claims is being used to develop nuclear weapons. Iran denies this, but Iran's production of highly enriched uranium has raised fears that it could be used to produce nuclear weapons.

As a result of the war, this week's UN conference on Palestine, which Norway was to attend, has been cancelled. France was expected to recognize Palestine as a separate state. The US had warned countries in advance not to participate.

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