United States Central Command confirmed on X that an unspecified number of F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets have arrived in its ‘area of responsibility’—which includes over 4 million square miles and 21 countries in the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and Northeast Africa.
“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,” US CENTCOM said.
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. pic.twitter.com/BuuzbUHu9s
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 8, 2024
We reported earlier that as many as 12 F-22s arrived in the Middle East today (see the reporting below)…
Unconfirmed, but some X users that identified as “OSINT”—or open-source intelligence—pointed out some of stealth fighters landed at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
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. pic.twitter.com/BuuzbUHu9s
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) August 8, 2024
Some geopolitical observers anticipate retaliation by Iran (or Iranian proxy groups), possibly including a direct assault on Israel. This suggests the Middle East is on the brink of a broader conflict that could escalate into a regional war