US is increasing military presence in the Middle East ahead of talks with Iran: CNN
The United States is increasing its military presence in the Middle East ahead of planned talks with Iran in Geneva. As CNN reports, citing its own sources, this includes moving air and naval forces to the region and deploying additional air defense systems.
“These steps are intended to both put pressure on Tehran and provide the ability to strike the country’s territory if negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program fail,” the channel’s sources said.
According to sources, U.S. Air Force tankers and fighter jets based in Britain are being redeployed closer to the region. Meanwhile, several units already in place and those scheduled to rotate in the coming weeks have had their service terms extended, one of the sources added.
Analysts say dozens of U.S. military transport planes have flown equipment to Jordan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in recent weeks. Open data from air traffic control shows that several fighter jets received diplomatic clearance to enter Jordanian airspace on Friday evening. Satellite imagery confirms that 12 U.S. F-15 strike aircraft have been stationed at Muffak-Salti airbase since Jan. 25.
