US Air Force

Recent surge in aerial activity as regional ceasefire expires.

Israeli security leadership convened for urgent consultations Tuesday evening following unconfirmed reports of a wave of United States Air Force strikes against strategic targets in Iran. Explosions were reported in the port city of Jask and other coastal locations along the Gulf of Oman, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top defense officials to assess the likelihood of active Israeli participation in the developing campaign.

Footage and satellite imagery circulated by security analysts on Monday appear to show damage at the Muwaffaq al-Salti Air Base in Jordan, following Iranian missile strikes launched overnight. The strikes were reportedly carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in response to a U.S. operation on Larak Island.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for a series of undisclosed high-level meetings with Russian officials, traveling aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III. According to reports, Washington took the extraordinary step of asking Ukraine to temporarily suspend its missile and drone strikes on Russian territory for the duration of the delegation's presence, marking the most significant diplomatic outreach to the Kremlin by the Trump administration since January.

The United States military has established a secret, secure shipping lane through the Strait of Hormuz, facilitating the transit of approximately 10 million barrels of oil per day despite nightly Iranian attacks, according to reports from Israeli journalist Asaf Rozentzweig (N12) and Axios. The covert route, which has been operational for several weeks, utilizes a southern corridor along the coast of Oman and is protected by a continuous presence of US Air Force fighter jets tasked with intercepting Iranian missiles and drones.

Low-resolution satellite imagery analyzed by independent observers suggests that at least one F-16 fighter aircraft may have been hit and several hangars damaged during a previous Iranian missile strike on the Muwaffaq al-Salti Air Base in Jordan. While the imagery provides visual evidence of impacts, the precise extent of the damage remains difficult to verify due to the quality of the available data.

A significant formation of United States Air Force assets, including multiple aerial refueling tankers and an E-3B Sentry Airborne Early Warning and Control (AWACS) aircraft, has been detected operating in close proximity to Iranian airspace. The activity, concentrated near the strategic Strait of Hormuz and southern Iran, follows a sustained American air campaign against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) positions and comes amid a period of extreme regional tension.

The United States Armed Forces are the unified military forces of the United States and Israel's primary strategic ally. In late 2026, under the Trump administration, the U.S. military has transitioned into a state of direct kinetic confrontation with the Iranian regime, conducting expansive airstrikes against strategic infrastructure and enforcing a naval blockade in response to Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf and attacks on U.S. assets in Jordan.

The United States military is Israel's primary strategic ally and the world's preeminent armed force. In late 2026, under the Trump administration, it has transitioned into a state of direct kinetic confrontation with the Iranian regime, conducting expansive airstrikes against strategic infrastructure and enforcing a naval blockade in response to Iranian aggression in the Persian Gulf and attacks on U.S. assets in Jordan.

The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most critical maritime chokepoint, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. In late 2026, it transitioned from an Iranian-declared blockade to a zone of direct kinetic confrontation between the United States and the Iranian regime, characterized by massive U.S. airstrikes on naval assets and retaliatory Iranian missile fire.

The lower chamber of the United States Congress, responsible for federal legislation and increasingly active in addressing anti-Israel boycotts on American campuses.

The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force (IRIAF) is the primary aerial warfare branch of the Iranian military, currently navigating a critical modernization phase through strategic cooperation with Russia while maintaining a legacy fleet of Western and Soviet-era aircraft.

The Iranian Navy is the maritime arm of the Islamic Republic's military, increasingly utilized for regional power projection and kinetic friction with Western forces in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. In late 2026, it has been central to escalating maritime engagements involving cruise missiles, drones, and direct confrontations with the U.S. Navy.