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The US has deployed fighter jets, warships, and troops across the Middle East to protect Israel and deter Iran, as Trump warns Tehran and considers options including strikes on nuclear sites.
The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier is escorted into a Navy point in South Korea (Source: AP)
UPDATED: Jun 19, 2025 05:54 IST
With tensions escalating between Iran and Israel, the United States has ramped up its military presence in the Middle East — a move aimed at shielding Israel from Iranian attacks and protecting American forces in the region.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the deployments, saying the movements were made to “ensure that our people are safe.” The Pentagon has sent additional fighter jets, refueling tankers, and repositioned warships across strategic locations — signaling a potential readiness for deeper involvement.
“We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran,” President Donald Trump declared on social media, fueling speculation about possible US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Officials, however, stressed that no American aircraft had entered Iranian airspace as of Tuesday and that all operations remain defensive — aimed at intercepting Iranian missiles threatening Israel.
US AIRCRAFT MOVING TO THE MIDDLE EAST
While numbers remain classified, a dozen F-16s have been relocated to Saudi Arabia, and US fighter jets are now patrolling the skies across the region. B-52 bombers at Diego Garcia are ready, and though B-2 stealth bombers — capable of carrying the 30,000-pound "bunker buster" bomb — are not currently deployed, they remain a powerful option.
The Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or GBU-57, could be used against Iran’s Fordo nuclear site, a facility so deeply buried in the mountains that only this bomb could potentially destroy it. “Only the US has the aircraft and the munitions needed for that kind of strike,” noted US officials.
Aurora Intel, a group that reviews open source information in real time in the Middle East, said the U.S. Air Force had put additional refueling aircraft and fighter jets in strategic locations across Europe, including England, Spain, Germany and Greece. The information was obtained from public aviation tracking websites, Associated Press reported.
American warships have been intercepting Iranian missiles, with destroyers like the USS The Sullivans and USS Arleigh Burke playing a direct role in defending Israel. The USS Carl Vinson and its strike group are now positioned in the Arabian Sea, and the USS Nimitz is en route to reinforce or rotate in.
The USS Gerald R. Ford is set to deploy to the European theater of command within the next week. Although the mission was pre-planned and not prompted by the current conflict, the aircraft carrier — alongside its escorting warships — will expand the Trump’s strategic options.
GROUND FORCES ON ALERT
US troop presence in the Middle East has risen to nearly 40,000, up from the usual 30,000. Families at certain bases have been allowed to voluntarily evacuate, and installations remain on high alert. Troops number surged as high as 43,000 last October in response to tensions between Israel and Iran as well as continuous attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.
(With inputs from Associated Press)
Published By:
Rivanshi Rakhrai
Published On:
Jun 19, 2025
