The largest US military buildup since the Iraq War: Details of the American mobilization in the Middle East
The largest US military buildup since the Iraq War: Details of the American mobilization in the Middle East
2026-02-22 07:58
Shafaq News – Washington
The United States has raised its military presence in the Middle East to its highest level since the 2003 Iraq War, in what is interpreted as the most extensive defensive and air buildup since then, amid escalating tensions with Iran, according to open intelligence data and analysis.
Military flight tracking platforms and activists reported that the US air support includes the deployment of dozens of fighter jets and airborne early warning and control aircraft, according to Anadolu Agency’s monitoring on Sunday.
According to open data, 12 F-22 aircraft arrived at RAF Lakenheath in England after departing from Joint Base Langley-Eustice in Virginia, USA, and crossing the Atlantic Ocean in preparation for their deployment to the Middle East.
Military activity in the region was also reflected on civilian flight tracking platforms.
According to data from Flightradar24, a company specializing in tracking flights, most of the flights that received the most global tracking during the past week belonged to the US Air Force.
The movements also reflect a marked increase in aerial refueling operations for US Air Force aircraft in the skies over the eastern Mediterranean, which was seen as an indication of accelerated field activity in the region.
Meanwhile, the United States has directed the USS Gerald Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, to the Mediterranean Sea in a move that strengthens the US naval presence in the region.
Robert Babb, a professor of political science specializing in security at the University of Chicago, said that U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft provide air support, adding: “As experts know, logistics are essential in war.”
He estimated in a post on the X platform that “the United States has amassed the largest air force force in the Middle East since the Iraq War in 2003.”
This mobilization is seen as a message to put pressure on Tehran in the Geneva negotiations over its nuclear program, while Washington says the increased presence is intended to deter “potential regional instability”.
For weeks, the United States has been reinforcing its military forces in the Middle East and threatening military action against Iran to force it to abandon its nuclear and missile programs and its “proxies in the region.”
Tehran believes that Washington and Tel Aviv are fabricating pretexts for intervention and regime change in Iran, and vows to respond to any military attack, even a limited one, while insisting on lifting Western economic sanctions in exchange for imposing restrictions on its nuclear program.
shafaq.com
