Reports: DOD deploys F-22 fighters near Iranian border

As tensions continue to rise between Washington and Tehran, the White House upped the ante this month by sending a squadron of advanced U.S. fighters to Iran’s doorstep.

The Air Force has reportedly begun rotating a squadron of F-22 Raptors to Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. UAE is directly to the south of the Iranian coastline, separated by the Straits of Hormuz.

Aviation Week first reported the details of the Raptor deployments.

Air Force spokesman Capt. Phil Ventura would not confirm the Raptor was headed to Al Dhafra, but said the next-generation fighter jets were en route to a deployment somewhere in Southwest Asia.

“Such deployments strengthen military-to-military relationships, promote sovereign and regional security, improve combined tactical air operations and enhance interoperability of forces, equipment and procedures,” he told Aviation Week on Thursday.

If true, the Raptor deployments are only the latest instance of what could be seen as a burgeoning military buildup in the Persian Gulf region.


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