The U.S. Military Hardware Pouring Into the Middle East

The U.S. military has deployed scores of combat aircraft across the Middle East and will soon have a second aircraft carrier within range of Iran if President Trump gives the order to strike. Over the past month, dozens of jet fighters and support aircraft have flown from the U.S. and Europe to bases in Jordan and Saudi Arabia, according to flight-tracking data.

For decades, the U.S. military has located warplanes at bases throughout the Middle East that have served as launching points for conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen. However, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates won't allow the U.S. aircraft to use their respective airspace to strike Iran. That has prompted the U.S. to base many fighters farther away in Jordan, which means warplanes would need to rely more on aerial refueling to reach their targets and return to the bases.