The U.S. military has surged more than 50 advanced fighter jets into the Middle East over the past 24 hours, sharply escalating its show of force near Iran even as diplomatic talks continue behind closed doors.

According to a report by Axios, the deployment includes a mix of F-16, F-22, and F-35 aircraft, many of which were tracked in real time by independent flight monitors as they moved toward the region.

The sudden buildup comes amid fragile indirect negotiations between Washington and Tehran over Iran’s nuclear program. A U.S. official told The Jerusalem Post that talks held Tuesday in Geneva produced limited progress but left major issues unresolved.

“There were good meetings, but the gaps are still wide,” the official said. “There’s still a lot of work to be done to reach an agreement.”

U.S. officials said Iran indicated it would return within two weeks with detailed proposals aimed at narrowing differences between the two sides. But even as negotiators work toward a possible framework, the Pentagon appears to be preparing for a far more confrontational scenario.

Last week, American media outlets reported that the U.S. would deploy its largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to the Middle East to reinforce its naval presence. The carrier and its escort ships were previously operating in the Caribbean before being redirected to the region, according to multiple U.S. officials.

The USS Abraham Lincoln and additional naval and air assets have already been stationed in the area since January, forming the backbone of a growing U.S. military posture.

Together, the carriers, strike groups, and newly arrived fighter jets represent the most significant American force concentrations in the region in recent years.

Whether the next phase brings compromise or confrontation remains uncertain.

But with fighter jets filling Middle Eastern skies and aircraft carriers converging offshore, the margin for error is narrowing — and the cost of failure is rising.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)