Overview
- A U.S. official confirmed roughly a dozen F-22s arrived at a southern Israeli airbase after departing RAF Lakenheath, with the fighters flying without active transponders while accompanying tankers were trackable.
- Open-source tracking and satellite imagery show more than 150 American aircraft repositioned to Europe and the Middle East in recent days, alongside two carrier strike groups that include the USS Gerald R. Ford near Crete and the USS Abraham Lincoln off Oman.
- Some reporting cites more than 300 U.S. aircraft moved into the region since January across bases in Qatar, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, as well as on the two carriers, reflecting a sustained logistics effort.
- Nuclear negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials are set for Thursday in Geneva, following a public 10–15 day timeline from President Donald Trump and briefings to congressional leaders by senior administration and intelligence officials.
- Iranian leaders warned the U.S. would suffer heavy casualties in any conflict and showcased drills on the country’s southern coast, as observers noted one F-22 reportedly returned to base due to a technical issue during the transit.