As President Donald Trump leaves open the possibility of a deal with Iran, U.S. military forces continue to flow into the Middle East in large numbers, amid preparations for a possible strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.
More than 250 U.S. fighter jets are already in the region, including dozens of stealth aircraft, according to the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv-based think tank. The figure does not include aircraft stationed in Europe. When those are counted, the total rises to about 350 fighter jets, not including dozens of refueling, transport and surveillance aircraft, the institute said.
1 View gallery
(Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst, Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS, INSS)
Trump, speaking in his State of the Union address and in recent days, has signaled that if he orders a strike, it would likely be limited and focused on nuclear sites, assuming he determines that negotiations have been exhausted and U.S. conditions have not been met. At the same time, the possibility of a negotiated agreement remains, and Trump could abandon military plans and present any deal as an American victory.
In the past 24 hours, the institute reported several U.S. naval movements. The destroyer USS Michael Murphy, part of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, entered the Persian Gulf. The destroyer USS John Finn arrived in the Arabian Sea and joined the same strike group. The USS Santa Barbara and USS Tulsa left the Persian Gulf and are now in the northern Arabian Sea. The USS Delbert D. Black, which had docked in Eilat in recent weeks, departed the Red Sea and also moved to the northern Arabian Sea.
The institute said six F-22 stealth fighters landed in southern Israel on Tuesday, while six additional F-22s were deployed to Britain. Earlier this week, six U.S. F-16s previously based in northern Japan were transferred to a facility in the Indian Ocean. A French Air Force aircraft was also observed operating in northeastern Syria after taking off from Jordan.
Australia’s Foreign Ministry said the government in Canberra instructed family members of Australian diplomats in Lebanon and Israel to leave the region due to escalating tensions. “We advise Australians in Lebanon and Israel to consider departing while commercial flights remain available,” the ministry said in a statement.
In Tehran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei accused the United States and Israel of using “Nazi propaganda,” writing on the social platform X that repeating a lie does not make it true. He said claims about Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missiles and casualties during unrest in January were “big lies” and part of a disinformation campaign.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said “all options are on the table — both honorable diplomacy and defense,” according to the ISNA news agency. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was expected to travel to Geneva for a third round of talks with Washington.
Arab media outlets gave prominent coverage to Trump’s address, focusing on tensions with Iran and the prospect of military action. Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Trump highlighted economic achievements and declared a “golden age” in an effort to project success at a critical moment in his presidency. Qatar’s Al-Araby Al-Jadeed emphasized his comments on Iranian missiles. Saudi broadcaster Al-Arabiya reported that Trump favored diplomacy while accusing Tehran of developing missiles capable of reaching the United States, and noted the speech’s significance ahead of November’s midterm congressional elections.