The US military said Thursday that additional F-15 fighter jets arrived in the Middle East as part of a buildup meant as a threat to Iran as Tehran is vowing it will respond to Israel’s October 26 airstrikes on Iranian territory.
“Today, US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles from the 492nd Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England, arrive in the US Central Command area of responsibility,” US Central Command wrote on X.
The Pentagon announced last week that it was sending additional military assets to the region for the “defense” of Israel. CENTCOM said that B-52 bombers arrived in the region on November 2.
According to flight and satellite data, six US B-52 bombers are at al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Haaretz reported that the US F-15 fighter jets were being sent to Jordan. The Pentagon said it would also be deploying additional US Navy destroyers and tanker aircraft to the region.
Before the latest US deployments, the Pentagon sent a THAAD missile defense system and about 100 troops to Israel. The US assets in Israel and elsewhere in the region could become potential targets of Iranian missiles since the US is vowing to defend Israel.
Recent media reports have said Iran is planning to launch a major attack on Israel from Iraqi territory. Baghdad has denied the rumors, saying they’re “false pretexts” to justify aggression against Iraq.
