USA SERIOUS MILITARY BUILD UP FOR IRAN STRIKE

 

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  JPost Updated: FEBRUARY 18, 2026 
• US military moved over 50 fighter jets to the Middle East in last 24 hours 
• F-16, F-22, and F-35 jets observed heading to Middle East 

• From The War Zone: https://www.twz.com/news-features
• large wave of American airpower heading toward Middle East 
• F-22 Raptors, F-16, E-3 Sentry and U-2 spy plane in transit or arrived in Europe
• 36× F-16 (12 Aviano, 12 Spangdahlem, 12 McEntire JNGB) 
• 12× F-22 from Langley, supported by multiple tanker waves 
• Two E-3 AWACS landed at Mildenhall Air Base in the U.K. 
• 18 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters left Lakenheath for Muwaffaq Salti, Jordan
• seventh Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer, deployed 

• these movements in advance of sustained operation
• hundreds of aircraft enough for major operation for weeks not days
• likely see additional assets deploy in the coming days
• dozen F-22s left Langley Air Force Base in Virginia 
• first destination Lakenheath Air Base in the U.K.
• F-22s Raptors protected B-2A stealth bombers last June’s attack on nuclear sites 
• 4 days before Midnight Hammer, F-22s made similar transit across the Atlantic 

• these jets played a key role in Midnight Hammer last June
• they don’t forward deploy F-22s to leave them hanging around for ages.
• Midnight Hammer saw 4 day gap between F-22s arriving and the strike ops

My Comments:

It costs billions of US Dollars to move that many air and naval assets thousands of kilometers from the US, Europe and Asia into position around Iran. Two aircraft carrier groups (USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald Ford) are also being deployed in the region - at full combat readiness. 

The entire Israeli Defence Forces, especially the Israeli Airforce and all their air bases are also at full combat readiness for any strike against Iran. 

The Americans have forward air base support in Jordan (Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan - picture above) and I am guessing the Israelis already have secret naval and air bases in the new Somaliland.

Will they strike Iran? President Trump said most recently that they already have the people to take over a new leadership in Iran.  Lets see what happens.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.