US deploys 50 fighter jets including F-22s, F-16s to Middle East, second carrier strike group enroute
A fleet of 50 US fighter jets has been moved to the Middle East, while the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier has departed the Caribbean and is now in the mid-Atlantic, sailing towards the region.
The United States has moved more than 50 fighter jets to the Middle East over the past 24 hours, according to open source flight tracking data and a US official, as Washington and Tehran held a second round of talks in Geneva over Iran's nuclear programme. A second US carrier strike group is also en route to the region.
The aircraft reportedly include F-22, F-35 and F-16 fighter jets, along with several aerial refuelling tankers, suggesting preparations for sustained operations. Social media accounts that monitor military aviation activity also reported the movements. A US official told Axios that more than 50 fighter jets had been deployed to the region within a day.
The negotiations in Geneva began amid a significant US military buildup in the region. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to use force, initially in response to a deadly crackdown on protesters last month and more recently over Tehran’s nuclear activities.
Independent flight tracking data and military aviation monitors recorded multiple fighter jets heading towards the region, alongside refuelling aircraft, highlighting the scale and speed of the deployment.
Second carrier strike group en route to Middle East
Meanwhile, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has departed the Caribbean and is now in the mid Atlantic, sailing towards the Middle East, according to a Navy official who spoke to Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of ship movements. The carrier is accompanied by three guided missile destroyers, the USS Mahan, the USS Bainbridge and the USS Winston Churchill.
Based on its current position, the carrier strike group is likely more than 1 week away from waters near Iran.
The USS Abraham Lincoln and other significant US air and naval assets were already deployed to the region earlier this year, expanding Washington’s military presence.
US-Iran talks drag on
An American official said progress had been made in the latest round of talks, though substantial issues remain unresolved. “Progress was made, but there are still a lot of details to discuss. The Iranians said they would come back in the next 2 weeks with detailed proposals to address some of the open gaps in our positions,” the official said.
The latest round of nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran lasted nearly 3 hours in Geneva, according to Iranian state television. The talks came shortly after Iran announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz for live fire military drills. For the first time since the United States began issuing military threats against Tehran, Iran shut down sections of the Strait, one of the world’s most strategically important shipping corridors.
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