The Wall Street Journal reports that US F-35 fighter jets from RAF Lakenheath in the UK and aerial tanker aircraft are currently en route to the Middle East. The deployment follows earlier reports of a US military buildup in the region.
At 09:49 Jerusalem Sunday morning, the Wall Street Journal reported that US F-35 fighter jets from RAF Lakenheath in the UK and aerial tanker aircraft are en route to the Middle East. The report adds a specific origin to a developing story of US air power repositioning that began Friday evening.
The thread started at 17:03 Jerusalem Friday, when security analyst Yair Goldblatt reported that US refueling aircraft had been evacuated from Qatar over fears of an Iranian attack. Shortly after, the WSJ reported that those fuelers, evacuated to Europe, would return to the Middle East, and that fighter jets from Europe were also being redeployed. Later Friday, the WSJ confirmed additional fighter jet deployments, and an Arab media channel reported that F-35s were en route from the UK. Early Sunday, at 00:43 Jerusalem, Arab media reiterated the F-35 movement, and at 00:52 Jerusalem, the WSJ reported that F-16s from Germany and F-35s from the UK, along with tanker aircraft, were heading to the region.
The redeployments are part of a broader US military buildup amid rising tensions with Iran. As The Zioneer reported, Iran has launched missiles and drones at US bases in the region, including strikes on installations in Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Jordan’s military earlier said it intercepted five Iranian ballistic missiles targeting a US air base. The WSJ also reported, citing US officials, that Iran has adapted its missile defenses and may be receiving targeting assistance from China or Russia.
The exact timeline for the arrival of the aircraft and their specific mission remain undisclosed. The WSJ reports are based on unnamed sources, and the US military has not yet officially confirmed the details of the deployment.
6 developments
- DevelopingF-16 fighter squadron with 5 refueling aircraft heads to Middle East, report says
- DevelopingMultiple US aerial refueling tankers depart Middle East
- ConfirmedUS plans to deploy roughly 100 aerial refueling aircraft to Israel, security source says
- DevelopingUS F-35 fighter refuels over Middle East in routine patrol, CENTCOM says
Source and signal
- Internal intake