The U.S. Has Moved More Than 150 Airplanes Closer To Iran

• 24.02.2026, 19:27

The region has accumulated roughly one-third of the entire U.S. fleet.

According to publicly available flight tracking data and satellite imagery examined by The Washington Post, the U.S. military has rapidly increased its presence near Iran, moving more than 150 aircraft to bases in Europe and the Middle East. The move comes amid the conclusion without a breakthrough of the second round of nuclear talks between the US and Iran.

The current US military presence in the region is one of the largest in more than two decades, since the 2003 Iraq war, the Post notes. The buildup comes after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to attack Iran unless an agreement is reached to curb Iran's nuclear program. Iranian officials have said an agreement is possible, but reaching it will take time.

Experts who have analyzed the force deployment said it surpassed the military buildup seen before the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear program last June. They said the buildup indicates possible preparations for a multi-day campaign without a ground invasion.

For example, the U.S. aircraft carrier "Gerald Ford," spotted off the coast of the Greek island of Crete, has dozens of additional aircraft on board. "Ford" is the second aircraft carrier sent to the Middle East, and its arrival means that roughly a third of all active U.S. ships are now in the region.

Defense Department officials acknowledged a significant influx of U.S. troops to the Middle East but declined to comment on specific details, citing operational security concerns.

According to satellite imagery and flight tracking data, more than half of the newly deployed U.S. aircraft have landed at bases in Europe.