US positions F-22 stealth fighters in Israel, puts 'almost any target in Iran at risk'

As the Trump medication weighs its adjacent determination connected Iran, 1 of the astir precocious craft successful the U.S. arsenal has taken up presumption person to Tehran.

Eleven U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters person arrived astatine Israel’s Ovda Air Base successful the country’s south, Fox News reported, marking the first-ever operational deployment of American combat craft to Israel. The determination comes amid a broader U.S. subject buildup successful the portion not seen astatine this standard successful years and arsenic concerns turn implicit Iran’s atomic programme and rocket capabilities.

For American decision-makers, the value is straightforward: The F-22 changes the subject equation.

"The F-22 is so the astir air-to-air susceptible combatant successful the world; thing comes adjacent to it successful the air-to-air role," said retired Lt. Gen. Joseph Guastella, erstwhile lawman main of unit for operations astatine U.S. Air Force headquarters. During a May 26 webinar hosted by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), helium described its beingness arsenic "a precise wide deterrent signal" that allows the United States to "negotiate with strength."

An F-22 Raptor flies successful this undated representation provided by Lockheed Martin. (Lockheed Martin via Getty Images)

Designed to found and support aerial superiority, the F-22 tin run successful heavy defended airspace and suppress force aerial defenses. In immoderate imaginable onslaught script against Iran, that capableness would beryllium critical. Before bombers oregon onslaught craft tin scope hardened atomic oregon rocket targets, idiosyncratic has to wide the skies. That is the F-22’s halfway mission, erstwhile generals explained successful the webinar.

Guastella underscored what guardant positioning means successful applicable terms. "The vantage of the ample unit that’s determination is that it tin clasp astir immoderate people successful Iran astatine hazard … if that’s what the president wants to do," helium said.

Retired Lt. Gen. Charles Moore, erstwhile lawman commandant of U.S. Cyber Command, said successful the webinar that the deployment is astir expanding statesmanlike options alternatively than signaling a predetermined strike.

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Two U.S. F-22 Raptor fighters alert implicit European airspace during a formation to Britain from Mihail Kogalniceanu aerial basal successful Romania April 25, 2016. (Reuters)

"There is simply a batch of combat capableness that’s been moved into the portion … the much capability, the much assets we put, the much options that the President has. We don’t container him in," Moore said.

He added that the posture allows the United States "to beryllium prepared for a semipermanent benignant of deployment and sustainment of combat capableness if that’s what the President decides helium wants america to do."

Trump signaled Friday that diplomacy remains his penchant but did not regularisation retired force. Speaking to reporters arsenic helium departed the White House for a travel to Texas, helium said helium was not blessed with Iran and wants to marque a woody with Tehran, but warned that "sometimes you person to" usage subject force. He added that Iran remains unwilling to forswear atomic weapons arsenic demanded by the United States.

The prime of Israel arsenic the deployment tract besides matters. Unlike immoderate Gulf bases, wherever operational restrictions tin apply, Israel offers less governmental constraints, they explained. That gives U.S. planners further state of enactment successful a fast-moving crisis.

THE ONLY MAP YOU NEED TO SEE TO UNDERSTAND HOW SERIOUS TRUMP IS ABOUT IRAN

A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor combatant pitchy climbs aft taking disconnected from the erstwhile Roosevelt Roads naval basal successful Puerto Rico, Jan. 4, 2026.  (Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters)

JINSA’s chap for American Strategy, Jonathan Ruhe, said the determination follows a JINSA proposal to grow U.S. basing options successful Israel, outlined successful a study the enactment published past fall.

That study argued that guardant basing successful Israel would heighten U.S. flexibility and deterrence successful the region. The enactment has for months pushed the thought that Israel could relation arsenic a land-based level for American airpower successful the Middle East.

Former Israeli Air Force commandant Maj. Gen. (ret.) Amikam Norkin said deploying specified high-end craft to the portion is not regular and framed the determination arsenic some operational and strategic. "It presents the American committedness to Israeli information erstwhile you are landing with your champion airplane successful Israel," helium said, adding that determination actors "understand the precise beardown committedness of the American government, American military, American President, to the nationalist information of Israel."

At the aforesaid time, helium rejected the thought that the deployment represents a displacement toward American "boots connected the ground" successful Israel.

"Well, it’s not the archetypal clip that America is connected the ground. As you retrieve the 12-Day War, the American Air Defense System supported us. So it’s already been done," Norkin said.

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Map shows wherever the U.S. is gathering up subject forces adjacent Iran. (Fox News )

More broadly, helium emphasized that Iran is not solely an Israeli problem. "The Iranian threat, it’s not conscionable an Israeli threat, it’s a determination threat, and the American forces enactment the region, not conscionable Israel."

Adm. Brad Cooper, caput of U.S. Central Command briefed President Donald Trump astatine the White House connected Thursday connected imaginable subject options targeting Iran, a root acquainted with the gathering confirmed to Fox News. The president’s apical subject adviser, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, besides attended the briefing.

For now, officials picture the determination arsenic portion of preparedness alternatively than a prelude to contiguous conflict. But the accomplishment of America’s premier air-dominance combatant connected Israeli ungraded signals a caller signifier successful U.S.-Israel subject coordination and a wide connection to Tehran: If the president chooses to strike, the tools are already successful place.

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