The U.S. has assembled its largest air power presence in the Middle East since 2003

Odaily News The scale of the U.S. air power buildup in the Middle East is the largest since the launch of the Iraq War in 2003. The beginning of the Iraq War, which lasted over eight years, was marked by the so-called "shock and awe" bombing campaign. Now, the U.S. is amassing forces in the region as President Trump considers launching strikes against Iran. The U.S. has deployed dozens of aircraft and multiple aircraft carriers to the area. These fighter jets include F-16s, F-22s, and F-35s. This military buildup enables the U.S. to conduct military operations of longer duration than the strike carried out by U.S. B-2 bombers against Iranian nuclear facilities during the Iran-Iraq war in June of last year. (Jin10)