The United States has deployed more than 150 military aircraft to U.S. bases in Europe and the Middle East.
On the 24th, the Washington Post (WP) reported, based on flight-tracking data and satellite images, that the United States has deployed the largest military force to the region in about 20 years since the 2003 Iraq War.
Satellite images taken on the 20th captured more than 60 fighter jets deployed at Jordan's Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. More than 12 F-35 fighter jets, which have stealth performance and electronic warfare capabilities, were also identified. Muwaffaq Salti is a key hub for U.S. air power.
In Britain, 12 F-22A Raptors were seen deployed at RAF Lakenheath, and F-16 fighters were confirmed landing in the Azores. On the Greek island of Crete, at least 10 additional F-35 fighter jets were spotted along with other fighters.
Recently, the U.S. military deployed more than one-third of its E-3G Sentry airborne early warning and control fleet to Europe and the Middle East. Equipped with a large rotating radar dome, this model can detect targets and conduct all-weather surveillance, and it can track activity in the surrounding airspace in real time.
Most of the aircraft confirmed in the flight-tracking data are transport planes and aerial refueling tankers. Because fighters often turn off their position transmitters, they are hard to track unless they are captured in satellite imagery.
Also, dozens of fighter jets are deployed on the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, which was sent to the Middle East earlier this month, and on the carrier Gerald R. Ford dispatched to the region. If the Ford carrier strike group reaches its target waters, about one-third of the U.S. Navy's active warships will be deployed in the area.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump said he could strike Iran if a nuclear deal is not reached. Because of this, experts say the concentration of U.S. forces may have been planned with a scenario of several days of air operations without a ground invasion in mind.
Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of National Defense Deina Stroll said, "The massing of major forces means whatever President Trump decides is executable," adding, "Anything from a prolonged high-intensity operation to limited, targeted strikes is possible."
Citing experts, the WP said, "This scale of force deployment exceeds the military buildup before the United States carried out airstrikes on Iran's nuclear program in June last year."