High levels of U. S. Air Force activity have been recorded around the Strait of Hormuz, according to a source.
On the night of September 24, U.S. reconnaissance aircraft were reportedly seen over the islands of Qeshm and Hengam. At the same time, fighter jets and small drones were observed over Iran’s Kermanshah Province.
The Pentagon had also reinforced its presence in the region a day earlier by deploying 12 F-16 fighters from Spangdahlem Air Base to the Persian Gulf.
The source said the increased military activity could point to a possible new escalation.
Tensions in the region had already risen after U.S. forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers. Tehran responded with a missile strike on a U.S. base in Jordan, while Jordanian air defenses intercepted most of the incoming missiles.
Against that backdrop, the Houthis attacked Saudi Arabia. U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later warned that Washington would respond to every attempt by Tehran to target American warships.
The latest escalation followed several months of relative calm. The United States continues to block Iranian ports, while Iran maintains its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a route that carries around one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies.