The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported today the arrival of a contingent of F-16 fighter jets in the Middle East from Germany. This deployment is in preparation to protect its allies in the region amid the imminence of an Israeli attack on Iran
“U.S. Air Force F-16s from the 480th Fighter Squadron based at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany arrive in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.,” CENTCOM posted on its social network X (formerly Twitter)
U.S. Air Force F-16s from the 480th Fighter Squadron based at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany arrive in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. pic.twitter.com/myt8uWySX9
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) October 25, 2024
While the specific country in the region where the U.S. F-16s were deployed was not disclosed, various sources indicate that the aircraft landed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
According to the news site Al-Monitor, earlier this month, a squadron of U.S. F-15s arrived at an undisclosed airbase in the Middle East, joining the F-16s, advanced F-22 Raptors, and several U.S. Navy vessels already operating in the region. These reinforcements coincide with Israel’s preparations for a promised retaliatory attack following Iran’s launch of ballistic missiles on October 1, an act that came after the Israeli military eliminated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Abbas Nilforoushan.
