The US military has deployed an array of assets to the Middle East, including US Air Force F-22 Raptor fighters and US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet jets, as part of a strategic response to mounting threats from Iran and its regional proxies.
The significant show of force comes in response to heightened tensions following Iran’s vow to retaliate for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh. On January 30, 2024, a bomb planted in his Tehran residence killed Haniyeh while he was attending the inauguration of Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
US Central Command confirmed on August 8, 2024, that around a dozen F-22 Raptors had arrived in its area of responsibility without specifying their exact deployment location. The fifth-generation air superiority fighters were deployed from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and stopped over at RAF Lakenheart, United Kingdom, on their way to the Middle East.
6x F-22 Raptors as #TREND71 landing at RAF Lakenheath pic.twitter.com/sFQKGoQlCn
— Biggsy (@BiggsyTV) August 6, 2024
Adding to the US military’s posture, US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets were temporarily transferred from the USS Theodore Roosevelt to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, managed by the USAF 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing. The Super Hornets will reportedly stay on land until the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is relieved by its sister ship, the USS Abraham Lincoln, currently en route from the Pacific Ocean.
In pictures released by the USAF, the carrier-based fighters were shown equipped with live AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. This configuration, combined with their advantageous location in Jordan, suggests that the Pentagon expects an air attack to come from the territory of Iran.
"undisclosed location" https://t.co/NI9ECYbdrf – US Navy VFA-25 F/A-18 Super Hornet at Azraq/Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan https://t.co/e9F9hd8ApQ pic.twitter.com/66wBnUxX1M
— Samir (@obretix) August 8, 2024
From April 13 to 14, 2024, Iran executed a large-scale attack involving at least 300 missiles and drones targeting Israel. This incident led to an international response, with French Rafale fighters scrambling to intercept Iranian drones over Jordan. The four Rafale B fighters from the 4th Fighter Wing were deployed at Prince Hassan Air Base, supporting operations against extremist groups in the region.
