ISTANBUL

As tensions grow between the US and Iran, Anadolu has tracked dozens of jets and military aircraft heading to US bases in the Middle East.

According to open source intelligence reports, there are more than 300 US military aircraft in the region, primarily distributed between Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, including carrier air wings 8 and 9 aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carriers.

Since early January, an estimated 270 C-17 and C-5 logistics flights to US Central Command (CENTCOM) were needed to assemble this air force, along with Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defense systems. Currently, an estimated 75 KC-46 and KC-135 strategic transports remain deployed to CENTCOM or on flightpaths to the region.

The assembled air forces are a myriad of support and offensive planes. Some 84 F-18E/F, 36 F-15E, 48 F-16C/CJ/CM and 42 F-35A/C jets constitute nearly 70% of all aircraft, while the remaining 30% is composed of tanker aircraft and offensive jets in specialist roles: 18 EA-18G “Growler” electronic warfare aircraft, 12 A-10C “Thunderbolt” close air support aircraft, 5 E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) aircraft and 6 E3 “Sentry” Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.

There have been no observed movements of B-2 bombers that were used in Operation Midnight Hammer last June.

Israeli air presence

As Washington’s buildup takes the spotlight, analysts say Israel is pushing for aggression against Iran and could be involved in strikes.

Israel’s fighter fleet of 66 F-15I/C/D, 173 F16I/C/D and 48 newer F-35 fighter jets effectively doubles the assembled airpower of the forces that could participate in strikes against Iran.

On Tuesday, Israel also received 12 US F-22 “Raptor” stealth fighters, the most advanced in the US arsenal, that could be used for “penetrating enemy territory and disabling air defense systems and radar installations,” according to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN. An additional 6 F-22s were also spotted later in the day departing from Langley Air Force Base in the US, presumably to join the others in Israel via RAF Lakenheath in the UK.

‘President Trump's first option is always diplomacy’

The White House said Tuesday that US President Donald Trump's approach to Iran prioritizes diplomacy but does not rule out military action if needed.

"President Trump's first option is always diplomacy, but as he has shown, he is willing to use the lethal force of the United States military if necessary," spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Leavitt pointed to the "overwhelmingly successful" Operation Midnight Hammer in June, which she said obliterated Iran's nuclear facilities, while cautioning that the threat had not been fully eliminated.

"That does not mean that Iran may never try again to establish a nuclear program that could directly threaten the United States, our allies abroad," she said, adding that preventing that scenario is what Trump was focused on.

The remarks come as a third round of indirect nuclear talks between Iran and the US, mediated by Oman, is scheduled for Thursday in Geneva, where Iran is expected to present a draft proposal.