F-35s, carriers and B-2 bombers: Pentagon reinforces Mideast military presence
The Pentagon has been quietly amassing forces in the Middle East amid concerns that Iran's IRGC could lash out at US bases in the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant if the White House's bid to end Tehran's nuclear enrichment via diplomacy goes off the rails.
The US military is building up forces across the Middle East and Indian Ocean as US President Donald Trump threatened to “bomb” Iran if it does not negotiate new limits on its nuclear enrichment.
The ongoing buildup includes two US Navy carrier strike groups (CSGs) and at least six stealth B-2 Spirit bombers — composing roughly half of the US Air Force’s fieldable fleet of the strategic stealth bombers.
The Pentagon late last month extended the USS Harry S. Truman CSG’s deployment in the region an additional two months. On March 21, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also signed off on redirecting the USS Carl Vinson strike group from the Pacific to the Middle East, along with additional air defense assets, Al-Monitor reported at the time.
The air defenses include two Patriot batteries and one National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) system, NBC first reported. The highly sought-after air defense systems were redeployed from South Korea, although Pentagon officials are keeping their destination under wraps. One military official cited diplomatic sensitivity as the reason, suggesting they may be going to Arab states in the Gulf that host US troops at various bases. There may be more US assets headed to the region as well. Pentagon officials have been hesitant to confirm specifics.
