Pentagon sends warplanes, aircraft carrier to Middle East as Iran-Israel conflict rages
WASHINGTON – The Pentagon has shifted warplanes and an aircraft carrier to the Middle East as the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to rage, but the moves have been defensive in nature as the U.S. observes rather than participates in Israel's punishing air campaign, according to U.S. officials.
The moves by the U.S. military have been made with an eye toward protecting American troops stationed in the Middle East, a senior Defense official said. There are about 40,000 U.S. service members there.
"We are postured defensively in the region to be strong, in pursuit of a peace deal," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News in a June 16 interview.
The Pentagon has not been involved in Israel's offensive strikes on Israel, according to a second U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly. Iran has been warned that any strike on U.S. troops will be met with a strong response. That official characterized the movement of additional forces to the region as a show of force.
There have been indications that U.S. troops have been targeted at times by Iran but no attacks have followed, the official said.
The aircraft being moved to the Middle East include air refueling tankers from Europe, according to the Defense official who also spoke on condition of anonymity. Refuelers would be necessary to keep fighter aircraft aloft as they provide cover for troops and installations on the ground.
The Pentagon has also shifted 21 refuelers based in the United States to Europe, backfilling those sent to the Middle East, the U.S. official said. That move suggests the war between Israel and Iran could continue for some time.
The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier has dozens of warplanes aboard. It is about a week away from the Middle East, the U.S. official said.
The U.S. had already moved the USS Carl Vinson, another massive aircraft carrier, to the region in April to take part in the Trump administration's strikes on Houthi forces in Yemen.
In May, B-52 bombers joined B-2 bombers at Diego Garcia, a Navy base off the tip of India around 2,300 miles from Iran. B-2 aircraft can carry bunker buster bombs, which could be used to target Iran's nuclear facilities.
Meanwhile, U.S. ballistic missile interceptors remain on the ground in Israel and at sea on warships nearby in the Mediterranean.
Israel has made a significant dent in Iran's ballistic missile capability, and its air defenses, the U.S. official said.
The ongoing aerial war between Israel and Iran entered its fifth day on June 17 as Israel pounded Iranian cities with bombs and some Iranian missiles evaded Israel's iron dome defense system.
More than 220 Iranians have been killed and at least 1,200 injured since the bombardment began, Iranian state media reported. Two dozen Israelis have been killed in Iranian missile attacks, officials said.
A day earlier, President Donald Trump hurriedly left a G7 summit in Canada, citing the escalating crisis in the Middle East. In a Truth Social post, he urged people to "immediately evacuate Tehran."
After French President Emmanuel Macron said Trump was on his way to work towards a ceasefire, the U.S. president retorted in another post that "he has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: US moves warplanes, ships to Middle East as Iran-Israel conflict spirals
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