 U.S. sent a message to Iran with warplanes and guided bombs. American warplanes recently deployed to the Middle East will be armed with guided bunker buster bombs, the Wall Street Journal reported. U.S. officials told the newspaper that the move is explicitly aimed at Iran. Citing anonymous officials, the newspaper reported that the planes will each be fitted with up to 16 GBU-39-B guided bombs. Weighing 113 kg, these munitions are designed to penetrate fortified positions such as underground command bunkers before exploding. The decision to put more powerful weapons on a squadron of A-10 warthogs was designed to give pilots a greater chance of success in destroying ammunition bunkers and other entrenched targets in Iraq and Syria, where U.S. forces have been repeatedly targeted by Iran-backed fighters, the Wall Street Journal reported. The paper did not specify whether these planes would operate out of U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria, but did state that their deployment was intended to send a message to Iran. The aircraft arrived at a base in the United Arab Emirates late last month, shortly after their deployment was announced by U.S. General Commander General Michael Carilla. The A-10 Thunderbolt, more commonly known as the Warthog, is a slow-moving, heavily armoured aircraft usually employed to provide close air support to troops on the ground. In service since the 1970s, it saw extensive use in the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The deployment of these aircraft to the Middle East comes at a time of heightened tension between Iran and the U.S.