The Israeli Broadcasting Authority announced that the information it previously published regarding the landing of American F-22 stealth planes in Israel, as part of Washington’s preparations for a possible attack on Iran, was not complete regarding the nature and size of the American military presence.
The authority explained that the deployment is not limited to aircraft only, but the United States has established an entire squadron at one of the air force bases in southern Israel, describing this step as unusual outside American territory, and aims to provide capabilities that are only available in F-22 fighters.
During the past 24 hours, transport and fuel supply planes arrived at the same base, in addition to a passenger plane used by American forces to transport soldiers to different regions around the world. According to the report, those arriving are believed to include technicians, maintenance workers, and weapons and operations officials, with the aim of providing air cover for the fighter squadron.
The authority confirmed that Israeli Air Force Commander Tomer Bar visited the site on this day, while Tel Aviv declined to comment on the arrival of the F-22 squadron. On the other hand, the authority quoted a source in the US Central Command confirming the details of the deployment.
This comes amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United States, after Washington mobilized a naval strike group and a large number of modern fighters in the Middle East near the Iranian border.
US President Donald Trump had called for an agreement to be reached before the expected talks between US and Iranian officials, warning that the failure of the negotiations would be a “very bad day” for Tehran. He stressed that he is the decision maker and prefers to reach an agreement, stressing that if this is not achieved, it will be a bad day for Iran and for its people as well.
On the other hand, the Wall Street Journal reported that the US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) expressed serious concerns to Trump about the repercussions of any large-scale military campaign against Iran, warning that the proposed plans entail great risks, including potential losses among American and allied forces, exhaustion of air defenses, and fatigue of forces.
