The U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet has deployed F-18E Super Hornets fighters from the supercarrier USS Theodore Roosevelt to Muwaffaq Salti Airbase in Jordan, as part of a broader surge in deployments to the Middle East aimed at expanding options to counter Iranian forces. The aircraft were reportedly deployed as early as August 3, just three days after Israel launched an unprecedented air strike on the Iranian capital Tehran which killed the Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau Ismail Haniyeh. Deploying under Strike Fighter Squadron 25 ‘Fist of the Fleet,’ the Super Hornets were previously speculated to have been deployed to Qatar, which has emerged as a central hub of American military operations in the Middle East due primarily to ongoing disputes with the United Arab Emirates, which has distanced itself from Washington in its conflict with Tehran.
Qatar is widely reported to be hosting a contingent of F-22 Raptor fifth generation fighters, which were redeployed to the region from Alaska to respond to ongoing tensions. Qatar, Jordan and Morocco are considered the three Arab states most closely aligned with the United States and broader Western Bloc, with the latter two also maintaining close defence ties with Israel and having over the past two years donated military equipment to Ukraine.