More than 300 US Military Aircraft Deployed to the Middle East Region
JAKARTA - As tensions between the United States and Iran escalate, Anadolu has tracked dozens of jets and military aircraft heading for US bases in the Middle East.
According to open source intelligence reports, there are more than 300 US military aircraft in the region, mainly spread across Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, and Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, including the air wings of aircraft carriers 8 and 9 on board the aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford, Anadolu (25/2) reported.
Meanwhile, the White House on Tuesday said President Donald Trump prioritizes a diplomatic approach to Iran but does not rule out military action if necessary.
"President Trump's first choice has always been diplomacy, but as he has shown, he is willing to use the lethal force of the United States military if necessary," spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
Leavitt pointed to the "very successful" Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025, which he said had destroyed Iran's nuclear facilities, while warning that the threat had not been completely eliminated.
"That does not mean that Iran will never try again to build a nuclear program that can directly threaten the United States, our allies abroad," he said, adding that preventing such a scenario was Trump's focus.
The statement was made ahead of the third round of indirect nuclear talks between Iran and the US, mediated by Oman, scheduled for Thursday in Geneva, where Iran is expected to present a draft proposal.
Since the beginning of January, an estimated 270 C-17 and C-5 logistics flights to US Central Command (CENTCOM) were needed to assemble this air force, along with Patriot missile defense systems and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
Currently, an estimated 75 KC-46 and KC-135 strategic transport aircraft are still deployed to CENTCOM or on flight paths to the region.
The air force deployed consisted of various types of support and attack aircraft. Around 84 F-18E/F jets, 36 F-15E jets, 48 F-16C/CJ/CM jets, and 42 F-35A/C jets make up almost 70% of all aircraft, while the remaining 30% consists of tanker aircraft and attack aircraft in special roles: 18 EA-18G "Growler" electronic warfare aircraft, 12 A-10C "Thunderbolt" close air support aircraft, 5 E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) aircraft, and 6 E3 "Sentry" Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.
However, no movement was observed from the B-2 bomber used in Operation Midnight Hammer last June.
As Washington's military build-up comes under scrutiny, analysts say Israel is pushing for an attack on Iran and could be involved in the attack.
Israel's fighter fleet, consisting of 66 F-15I/C/D, 173 F-16I/C/D, and 48 newer F-35 fighters, effectively doubles the combined air power of the forces that could participate in an attack on Iran.
On Tuesday, Israel also received 12 US F-22 "Raptor" stealth fighters, the most advanced in the US arsenal, which can be used to "penetrate enemy territory and disable air defense systems and radar installations," according to Israeli public broadcaster KAN. Six additional F-22s were also seen later that day departing Langley Air Force Base in the US, likely to join the others in Israel via RAF Lakenheath in the UK.