The United States is withdrawing stealth fighter jets from an Israeli airbase, according to a Times of Israel report. The move comes amid heightened US-Iran tensions and follows an earlier unverified report of US fighter jets departing Israel.
The Times of Israel has confirmed that the United States is withdrawing stealth fighter jets from an Israeli airbase, despite the ongoing flare-up between the US and Iran. The confirmation follows a day of evolving reports: The Zioneer's initial coverage on Friday at 13:45 Jerusalem detailed the departure of twelve F-22 Raptor stealth fighters from Ovda Airbase, with later updates specifying the squadron's return to the United States after five months of joint strikes in Iran as part of Operation Roaring Lion. By 18:58 Jerusalem, an unverified report indicated that US fighter jets had left Israel without specifying stealth capability or the base. The Times of Israel's report now provides a more authoritative confirmation, though it does not repeat the specific details of earlier reports — the number of aircraft, their destination, and the particular base were not disclosed.
Earlier on Friday (13:45 Jerusalem), The Zioneer tracked the withdrawal through multiple reports: first, the initial departure of 12 F-22 Raptors from Ovda en route to the US via the UK; then the confirmation that the squadron was returning to the United States, not Britain; followed by reports that the withdrawal marked the end of their deployment in Operation Roaring Lion and the first such departure since February 2026. The thread also included a report that the US Air Force was withdrawing the stealth fighters from Ovda, and a separate unverified report at 18:58 that simply said US fighter jets had left Israel. The Times of Israel's confirmation thus adds a layer of credibility to a series of reports that had already provided substantial detail, but it does not independently verify the earlier specifics.
As The Zioneer reported on Wednesday (Jul 8, 21:44 Jerusalem), the United States was returning aerial refueling tankers to the Middle East and Israel after an exchange of fire with Iran, underscoring the volatile backdrop. The F-22 Raptors had been stationed in Israel since February 2026 as part of Operation Roaring Lion, a joint US-Israeli campaign of strikes against Iran. The withdrawal of these advanced aircraft, even as tensions remain high, raises questions about the US posture going forward.
What remains open: The Times of Israel report did not confirm the number of aircraft (earlier reports said 12), the specific airbase (earlier reports said Ovda), or the destination (earlier reports said the US via the UK). It is unclear whether the withdrawal is a full redeployment of the squadron or a partial rotation, and whether it signals a change in the US commitment to the joint campaign.
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Source and signal
- Internal intake