US deploys 50+ fighter jets including F-22s, F-35s, F-16s to Middle East

 

The United States has sharply increased its military footprint in the Middle East, deploying more than 50 fighter jets in the past 24 hours, even as it engages in a fresh round of diplomatic talks with Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

US officials described the deployment as a significant reinforcement of air and naval assets in the region. Axios first reported the buildup, citing a US official who confirmed the aircraft movements.

Independent flight-tracking data and military aviation monitors recorded multiple F-22, F-35 and F-16 fighter jets heading toward the region, along with several aerial refuelling tankers, an indication that the aircraft are being positioned for sustained operations.

A US official told Axios that “more than 50 fighter jets have been moved to the region in the past 24 hours,” underscoring the scale and speed of the deployment.

The surge coincides with a second round of indirect nuclear negotiations between American and Iranian officials in Geneva.

Second carrier strike group en route

Alongside the air deployment, the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group has departed the Caribbean and is now in the mid-Atlantic, heading toward the Middle East, a Navy official said Tuesday.

According to the Associated Press, the official, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of ship movements, said the Ford is sailing with three guided-missile destroyers, the USS Mahan, USS Bainbridge and USS Winston Churchill.

Based on its current location, the carrier group is likely more than a week away from waters near Iran.

The USS Abraham Lincoln and other major US air and naval assets had already been deployed to the region earlier this year, expanding Washington’s military presence.

Talks show cautious progress

Despite the visible show of force, both sides signalled measured optimism about the diplomatic track.

US officials said the Geneva talks “made progress,” though “there are still a lot of details to discuss.” After meetings involving Trump’s envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, Iranian representatives indicated they would return within two weeks with more detailed proposals “to address some of the open gaps in our positions,” according to a US official.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the discussions as “serious, constructive and positive.” He told Iranian state television that “good progress was made compared to the previous meeting, and we now have a clearer path ahead.”

(With agency inputs)