The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Tuesday that it has strengthened its military posture in the Middle East with the arrival of an F‑15 fighter jet squadron, as tensions with Iran continue to simmer.
CENTCOM released a photo showing an F‑15E from the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron landing at an undisclosed base in the region earlier this week.
Notably, the same squadron was deployed to the Middle East in April 2024 to help counter Iran’s drone and missile barrage on Israel.
“The F-15's presence enhances combat readiness and promotes regional security and stability," CENTCOM said in a post on social media.
The announcement came several days after military sources said that at least one US aircraft carrier is being deployed toward the Middle East as tensions with Iran continue to escalate.
According to the sources, US military assets from air, land and sea are expected to move into the region in the coming days and weeks to give the President a range of military options should he choose to launch strikes against Iran. Officials described the deployments as part of a broader process of "setting the force."
US President Donald Trump earlier on Tuesday commented on the possibility that he would order a strike on Iran over its crackdown on anti-regime protesters.
“So with Iran, they were going to hang 837 people…and we let them know that if that happens that it will be a very bad day for them, and they decided not to do it," Trump told reporters at the White House.
“I can’t tell you what’s going to happen in the future but supposedly they’ve taken that off the table," he added. “Is the military option off the table? No."