The US Central Command on Thursday announced that a squadron of U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jets arrived in the Middle East to counter threats from Iran.
“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,” a statement from the US Central Command said.
JNS reported that an earlier CENTCOM statement on X said that the jets were deployed to “address” Tehran’s anticipated attack. About half an hour later, the statement was edited to read “mitigate.”
The statement did not indicate where the fight jets landed but the Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper which is affiliated with Hezbollah, reported that the United States is engaged in preparations for a possible war in Cyprus. According to the report, a US military delegation, accompanied by a large military and security logistics force, arrived on the island in the last few days and met with officials from the Ministry of Defense and Cypriot intelligence.
Officials in Cyprus claimed that the Americans announced that the island would be used as a platform to intercept expected launches from Iran, Yemen, and Hezbollah. The delegation brought equipment, weapons, and new air defense systems, including helicopters.
Cypriot officials were quoted in the newspaper as saying they had “never seen such quantities and types of weapons.” The officials added that the UK also bolstered their forces on the island and transferred equipment related to air defense systems. Germany is also expected to send naval forces.
According to the report, Cypriot officials conveyed a message to the “Axis of Resistance” including Hezbollah, that what is happening “is being done against their will, and that they do not want to involve their country in war.” It should be noted that this report was not confirmed by any official.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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5 Responses
The US policy appears to be “conflict management” which allows and probably encourages conflicts to “boil” while making sure that “our side” never wins, but never totally loses. As Biden hasn’t started a world war, yet, it seems to be working.
But it resembles an geologic fault that keeps building up until finally it breaks, and the longer it has been building up, the bigger the earthquake.
Many thanks President Biden
Great look for the US, but those military assets aren’t there primarily to protect Israel. They’re there to restrain Israel from carrying out either a significant retaliatory attack, or a preemptive attack.
“Al tivtechu b’nedivim”. Especially when they’re not really trying to help you.
If U.S military assets provide even a modest deterrent and keep Iran from retaliating or mitigate the severity of that retaliation, then Israel comes out ahead. For the right-wing war hawks in the governing Netanyahu coalition and Trump supporters who argue that Israel should bomb Iran back to the stone age, fortunately you are not in a position to influence anything in the real world and demonstrate a real need for adult supervision.
The American plan is to keep lid on the conflict, since if Israel and Iran start fighting, and Israel wins, it might force Russia to come to Iran’s aid, starting a chain of events leading to World War III (cf: Sarajevo and its aftermath in 1914).
Given Harris’s (and her Progressive Democrats) tilt towards Hamas and against Israel, and Trump’s opposition to foreign wars, Biden should have no trouble convincing Iran and Hezbollah to wait until Jan. 21, 2025.