Egypt Daily News – Three U.S. officials said the U.S. military is deploying more fighter jets to the Middle East and expanding the deployment of other warplanes, boosting American military presence in the region as the war between Israel and Iran intensifies. One official clarified that the deployments include F-16, F-22, and F-35 fighter jets.
Two of the officials emphasized the defensive nature of the fighter jet deployment, noting that these aircraft have been used to shoot down drones and projectiles.
The U.S. Department of Defense has not yet responded to a request for comment.
The two officials said that the U.S. aircraft carrier Nimitz is heading to the Middle East, though one of them noted that the move had been planned earlier.
The Nimitz can carry 5,000 personnel and more than 60 aircraft, including fighter jets.
Israel began bombing Iran on Friday, saying that Tehran was on the verge of developing a nuclear bomb. Since then, Iran and Israel have exchanged heavy strikes, causing civilian casualties and raising fears of a broader regional conflict.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the deployments as defensive, as Washington seeks to protect its forces in the Middle East from any potential retaliation by Iran or its allied forces in the region.
A fourth U.S. defense official on Tuesday pointed to the possibility of deploying additional U.S. Navy warships in the eastern Mediterranean, capable of intercepting ballistic missiles.
The United States already has a significant force in the Middle East, consisting of nearly 40,000 troops, including air defense systems, fighter jets, and warships capable of intercepting missiles.
Israel launched its largest-ever air campaign against Iran on Friday after saying it had concluded that Tehran was close to developing a nuclear weapon.
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and points to its right to possess nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, including enrichment, as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
