A squadron of United States Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets arrived in the Middle East on Thursday to “mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or its proxies,” the U.S. military confirmed.
In an earlier statement, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the geographic command responsible for the Middle East, Central Asia and parts of South Asia, said that the planes were dispatched to “address” Tehran’s anticipated attack.
The statement, which was shared on X, was modified to read “mitigate” some 30 minutes after it was first posted online, JNS has confirmed.
U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors arrived in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Aug. 8 as part of U.S. force posture changes in the region to mitigate the possibility of regional escalation by Iran or its proxies. pic.twitter.com/BuuzbUHu9s
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 8, 2024
Israel’s Security Cabinet, which is responsible for defense-related decisions and composed of senior ministers, was set to meet on Thursday night at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Both the Islamic Republic and its Lebanese terrorist army, Hezbollah, have vowed revenge for the targeted killings last week of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.
The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have also vowed to avenge last month’s Israeli strikes on the port city of Hodeidah, which came after a suicide drone killed one Israeli and wounded several others in Tel Aviv.
The Jewish state and its allies, including the U.S., remain on high alert for attacks by Iran and its regional terrorist proxies, with Jerusalem’s security establishment of the opinion that Hezbollah will attack first.
Israel’s Channel 12 has reported that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah could see a window of opportunity in the “coming days.” An intelligence effort is underway to identify the timing and nature of the attack.
Jerusalem is working to provide citizens with an adequate warning of an attack, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Thursday.
“The public’s resilience allows us to make the right operational decisions. In the face of the enemy’s attempt to sow fear, we must continue with routine life,” he said following a situational assessment held at IDF Home Front Command headquarters in Ramla.
On Monday, CENTCOM commander Gen. Erik Kurilla met with Gallant and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi in Tel Aviv to mobilize a coalition to fend off the Iranian attack, similar to the one that helped the IDF defend against Tehran’s unprecedented direct aerial attack in April.
