The United States military has moved more than 50 fighter jets to the Middle East within the past 24 hours as part of a broader buildup of air and naval forces near Iran, according to a report by Axios citing a US official. Independent flight trackers observed multiple aircraft, including F-16, F-22, and F-35 fighter jets, heading toward the region during this period.
The deployments come at a sensitive time, coinciding with ongoing indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran focused on Iran’s nuclear programme.
Iran-US Nuclear Talks
The Jerusalem Post reported that discussions held in Geneva on Tuesday made some progress, although significant gaps remain unresolved.
“The Iranians said they would come back in the next two weeks with detailed proposals to address some of the open gaps in our positions,” the official said.
The official added that while the meetings were constructive, major differences persist.
“There were good meetings, but the gaps are still wide. There’s still a lot of work to be done to reach an agreement.”
US Military Buildup Around Iran, Deploys Second Aircraft Carrier
The military buildup follows reports last week that the US planned to deploy its largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to strengthen its regional posture ahead of a possible confrontation with Iranian forces.
The carrier and its escort ships had previously been stationed in the Caribbean. According to four anonymous US officials, they were informed of the new deployment destination on Thursday.
Another US carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, along with additional air and naval assets, had already been deployed to the region in January.
Iran Conducts Missile Drills, Temporarily Closes Strait of Hormuz
Amid the diplomatic efforts, Iran announced on Wednesday that it had temporarily closed the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier to conduct live-fire military drills.
Iranian state media reported that military forces fired live missiles toward the strategic waterway and shut it for several hours citing “safety and maritime concerns.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also delivered a warning during the developments, saying:
“The strongest army in the world might sometimes receive such a slap that it cannot get back on its feet.”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
