Illustrative image. (U.S. Army)
The United States military buildup in the Middle East gained momentum on January 29, with the deployment of fighter jets, including F-35s, in addition to special purpose aircraft used for command, special operations, as well as search and rescue.
The buildup is directed against Iran. U.S. President Trump earlier this month threatened military action if the Islamic Republic killed protesters or carried out mass executions of prisoners, but he backed down soon after, claiming Tehran halted the hangings of 800 detainees. Still, he ordered the deployment of additional military assets into the region.
According to flight tracking data, at least six F-35A Lightning II fighter jets from the 158th Fighter Wing of the Vermont Air National Guard, which is based at Burlington Air National Guard Base, arrived at Lajes Air Base in Portugal supported by several tankers. The stealth fighter jets took off from Puerto Rico. They will likely be moved into the Middle East within a few days.
Click to see full-size image. (Flightradar24/X)
Six EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets also traveled with tankers from Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia to Rota Naval Air Station in Spain.
The F-35As, from the Vermont Air National Guard took part in the special operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. EA-18G were also employed during the operation.
Both fighter jets will allow the U.S. Air Force to conduct suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) operations against Iran. Additional jets of the same type are already embarked on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, which arrived in the region earlier this week.
Flight tracking data also revealed that the U.S. deployed an E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) aircraft, also used in the Venezuela operation, at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
Click to see full-size image. (Flightradar24/X)
In addition, the U.S. The Air Force dispatched two HC-130J Combat King II to the Middle East, reportedly at an air base in Jordan. These are extended-range, combat search and rescue aircraft.
Click to see full-size image. (Flightradar24/X)
An MC-130J Commando II of the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command was also tracked heading to Azerbaijan on an unusual flight.
Click to see full-size image. (Flightradar24/X)
According to a recent Reuters report, Trump is now weighing options against Iran that include targeted strikes on security forces and leaders to inspire protesters, with the aim of creating conditions for “regime change”.
During President Donald Trump’s cabinet meeting on January 29, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the Pentagon is ready to fulfill any orders given.
“They should not pursue nuclear capabilities. We will be prepared to deliver whatever this president expects of the War Department,” Hegseth said.
The next day, Trump showed openness to dialogue with Iran, but warned again that the U.S. was preparing to attack with full force.
“We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now, and it would be great if we didn’t have to use them,” Trump told reporters, referring to the U.S. military assets moving to the region.
Washington has sent some serious demands to Tehran, according to several recent reports, including a permanent end to Iran’s uranium enrichment, new limits on its ballistic missile program, and a stop to its support for regional proxy forces. The Islamic Republic agreed to hold talks only on its nuclear program.
Overall, all recent developments indicate that the U.S. will attack Iran. Still, an attack may be still weeks away, as the Trump administration will need to send more military assets, much more, to the Middle East before giving the order. The current force may be enough for an on-off strike, but not for an all-out war.
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iran needs to attack first if it wants any chance to survive.
russia and china can sit with their pussy tails between their legs.
iran should attack now
russia will only sit and watch
good news is that regardless of who starts it you will see much more advanced and bigger warheads from iran’s arsenal this time than what was used in the 12 day war in action!… and just remember that a country with 7 million inhabitants is a much easier and target rich environment than one that is a half a million square miles…
i’ll say it again whether iran has nukes or not, i$rael’s chosenites better have an exit plan before the **** hits like their fearless leader “the american president” in cyprus last year!.
imho=transgender americunt retired janitor pays p[esos to swallow hebrew jizz
the zionist cartel can not occupy iran. what weapons do the pirates plan to use.
there is 200 thousand houthi soldier in mexico usa border waitin for hamaneys order to penetrate deep in texas and california
hahahahahaha. people come up with the stupidest stuff.
that’s wishful thinking. and just a little absurd.
so they know they’re going to take losses.
iran should give the u.s. 48 hours to remove the u.s. warcraft from the region or iran shall assume the conflict has started and pre-emptively strike them..
a failure by the us, even if it’s just the amount of killed us soldiers, will be the first chain in a chainreaction that will bring the fall of the us hegemony/imperialism.
lets be serious: the soldiers can’t escape their floating coffin. and the first thing what will happen, is the sinking of the ships. we saw how yemen threatened the aircraft carrier away. iran will definetly sink it.
china will immadiately fill the gap where usa has gone to far.
second: i guarantee that neither trump nor his son nor his henchmen will last more than a half jear after an attack.
did putler’s al-qaeda shit itself in front of republican congressmen and senators out of fear, or did both the sdf and al-qaeda have a secret mission?
releasing isis back to freedom?
we all know that dump, in his stupidity, hates al-maliki even though al-maliki never accused him of being a pedophile.
al-qaeda is cia
please speak english moonwalker
turkey will create a tampon area in north iran, where azerbaijan and turkey will be neighbours by border.
bullshit, you need diapers after this wet dream i assume.
iran supported armenia.
iran sended weapons agains turks and azerbaijan.
erdogan will not accept any refugee from iran.
erdogan will capture north iran where 13m iranian azerbaijan turks live.
erdogan will create tampon area for these iranian azerbaijan turks.
azerbaijan and turkey will be neighbours by its borders soon.
north iran turkish republic.
iran is supported by those turks in iran and in turkey more than erdo is supported by the turks in turkey. but in your puberty you run after every blink blink and play big politics.
nice try mossad dog.
the siege expands. iran is being surrounded. the pirate mafia will try the peace talk hoax while expanding.