US sends dozen F/A-18 fighters to base in Middle East to prepare for attack on Iran

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The US has deployed a dozen F/A-18 fighters to a military base in the Middle East. This move is part of the Pentagon's efforts to protect Israel from potential attacks by Iran and its affiliates, reports The Times of Israel.

According to an American official, the F/A-18 aircraft and the E-2D Hawkeye reconnaissance plane departed from an aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Oman and arrived at an undisclosed base.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the increased military presence in the region due to concerns about escalation in the Middle East following the recent killings of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and the Hamas political leader in Iran, likely as a result of Israeli strikes. Both groups are known to be supported by Iran.

The US Navy's deployment is expected to be temporary, with an F-22 fighter squadron en route from its home base in Alaska to the same base. Approximately a dozen F-22s are anticipated to arrive in the Middle East in the coming days.

The Times of Israel reports that it is unclear how long all the aircraft will remain at the base together, with the duration likely depending on developments in the coming days.

Earlier, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “will be directing multiple” force movements to provide additional support to Israel and increase protection for U.S. troops in the region.

The White House, in a statement, said President Joe Biden “reaffirmed his commitment to Israel’s security against all threats from Iran, including its proxy terrorist groups Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.”

It’s currently not clear what form an Iranian attack could take and whether it could be as significant as the April drone and missile attack, which was largely intercepted by Israel and its allies. The United States is doing everything possible to make sure that this situation does not boil over, White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer said in a interview with ABC. “Part of what makes back-channel messages and conversations effective is that they need to stay private,” Finer told ABC. “So I won’t speak to the details of the diplomatic activity that is underway other than to say in close coordination and conjunction with our Israeli allies and other partners and allies in the region.”