According to Financial Times reporters, the United States significantly expanded its fighter presence near Iran in February. The paper writes that additional combat aircraft were deployed to military bases in Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

Analysts at Tel Aviv University say that at least 66 US Air Force fighters are now concentrated at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. The same base has recently received EA-18 electronic warfare aircraft and transport planes. A build-up of US combat aviation has also been recorded at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, where Boeing E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control aircraft are already stationed.

The journalists also note that Washington has assembled what they describe as an «armada» of 16 warships in the Middle East. This force includes two carrier air wings deployed on the aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford.

These carrier groups host dozens of aircraft and helicopters, among them F-18 fighters, EA-18 Growler electronic warfare jets, E-2 airborne early warning aircraft and various transport planes. The report adds that F-35 fighters are additionally based on the Abraham Lincoln. In total, around 40,000 US military personnel are currently concentrated in the region.