US Deploys Fighter Jets in Iran’s Backyard as Regional Tensions Surge

The deadlock in Iranian-US negotiations on the Iran nuclear deal, combined with the strain stemming from the ramped up US presence in the Persian Gulf and regular threats by US ally Israel to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities have escalated tensions between Tehran and Washington to their highest levels since President Biden’s inauguration in 2021.

The United States will deploy General Dynamics F-16 fighter jets to the Persian Gulf region, US and Gulf media have reported, citing a senior US defense official speaking anonymously to reporters.

The F-16 deployment, expected to be completed before the weekend is out, is expected to complement the A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft already patrolling in the region for more than a week.

According to the official, the warplanes will provide air cover for ships traversing through the Gulf, and increase the US military’s “visibility” as a “deterrent” to Iran amid the increased incidence of Iranian seizures of commercial vessels traversing mostly through the Islamic Republic’s waters.

The official cited the USS McFaul guided missile destroyer’s deployments earlier this month to thwart two alleged attempts by Iran to seize commercial vessels in the Gulf. An informed Iranian defense source earlier dismissed these claims as patently false.

But Iran has indeed seized other foreign tanker vessels in recent months, citing the escalating prevalence of illegal oil smuggling activities, and unsafe maneuvers through Iranian waters.

Last week, Iranian media reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had seized a tanker reportedly containing up to 900 metric tons of smuggled fuel. Another tanker was seized in May, for reasons unknown.

In April, Iranian commandoes boarded a US-bound oil tanker after it slammed into an Iranian fishing boat and attempted to flee the scene. A second was seized the same month over a judicial complaint by a private plaintiff.

Iran on one side and the US and its allies on the other have played a years-long cat and mouse game involving the seizure of oil-laden vessels, with Washington at one point attempting to enforce a push to bring Iranian oil exports down “to zero” amid the failure of its sanctions. Iran has long called for Gulf security to be ensured by regional nations, and said that the presence of foreign warships and other “outsider” military assets in the Gulf are a threat to Tehran and a challenge to the stability of the region.

The Islamic Republic has among the largest, most sophisticated and self-sufficient armed forces in the Middle East, which enable them to engage even the latest US military equipment. In April, Iranian commanders boasted of the country’s successful detection of a US ballistic missile sub trying to sneak through the Hormuz Strait, and announced that Iran has technologies capable of monitoring and differentiating between individual Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets.

The Persian Gulf is a key strategic waterway accounting for about 40 percent of the world's ship-bound oil shipments, and 20 percent of the global oil supply in total.

Syria Tensions

The anonymous senior US defense official also commented on Washington’s continued illegal deployment in and occupation of a third of Syria, citing “Russian aggression” over the skies of the Arab Republic, while vowing to continue illegal US flights over the western part of the country, purportedly to target Daesh (ISIS).*

The official expressed concerns about increasing cooperation between Russia, the IRGC Quds Force and the Syrian government as part of a joint pressure campaign to oust the US from the Middle Eastern country, but stressed that the US won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. The official also said that the US does not see the danger of Russian aircraft dropping bombs on US ground troops or attacking US jets in the area, but warned that they may try to bring down unmanned US drones engaged in the “systematic violations of protocols” in their overflights.

“It sometimes gets very heated,” the official said, citing illegal US flights over western Syria.

Syrian, Russian and Iranian officials have repeatedly demanded that the US end its illegal occupation of Syrian territories east of the Euphrates, which are home to the vast majority of the nation’s oil, gas and food resources, as well as the at-Tanf garrison in the country’s south, where the US is suspected of retraining jihadists to fight the government in Damascus. Washington has consistently refused to pull its forces out, citing its need to “keep the oil” (the justification under former President Donald Trump) or “prevent the resurgence of Daesh” (the justification under President Joe Biden).

* A terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries.