Click to see full-size image. (U.S. Central Command)
The United States military has deployed additional warplanes at Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, satellite images shared on social media on April 24 and 25 revealed.
Dhafrah is considered critical for the operations of the U.S. military in the Middle East. The base hosts advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft.
The recent deployment at the air base includes at least 12 F/A-18A/C/D Hornet fighter jets from the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312 of the U.S. Marine Corps, in addition to a number of A-10C+ Thunderbolt II attack jets from the U.S. Air Force.
Click to see full-size image. (X)
At least seven aerial refueling tankers from the air force were also spotted in the satellite images, taken by the European Sentinel-2.
Click to see full-size image. (X)
Dhafrah, located around 32 kilometers to the south of Abu Dhabi, was targeted by dozens of Iranian missile and drone strikes after the start of the American-Israeli war on the Islamic Republic more than a month ago. Complete sections of the air base were devastated.
The military buildup at Dhafrah came amid reports of ongoing preparations by the U.S. to resume the war on Iran. According to CNN, the U.S. military is developing new battle plans to target Iran’s capabilities in the Strait of Hormuz.
Dhafrah and the UAE in general would be critically important for any U.S. military operations in the strategic waterway, which is responsible for around 20 percent of global oil and liquid natural gas shipments.
The waterway has remained closed for the most part since the start of the war on Iran, and even after a two-week ceasefire by Trump — who even extended it earlier this week — traffic remained very limited. A blockade imposed by the U.S. on Iranian ports amid the ceasefire made the situation even more complicated.
CNN’s latest reports suggested that the U.S. military could step up strikes against Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz, the southern Arabian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman if the war resumes. Nevertheless, the U.S. does not need to deploy additional warplanes in Dhafra to do this.
The military buildup at the air base is likely meant to support U.S. amphibious operations on the Iranian coast of Hormuz. The deployment of fighter jets specifically from the U.S. Marine Corps is one sign of this.
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iran’s delegation has already left pakistan without visiting the dynamic real estate duo. round 3 will be far.. far… worse. uae even had a weather weapon that was obliterated in the second week of march -“did iran just destroy a us-israel ‘weather weapon’, ending its drought? viral conspiracy explained” economic times…