TEL AVIV, February 24. /TASS/. Twelve American F-22 fighter jets have landed at an airbase in southern Israel, the Kan broadcaster said.
According to Kan, the fighter jets arrived in Israel as part of the US military deployment campaign in the Middle East.
The Washington Post (WP) reported earlier, citing satellite images and flight data analysis, that United States has increased its military presence near Iran, stationing more than 150 aircraft at bases in Europe and the Middle East following the Washington-Tehran negotiations in Geneva on February 17. The current US military presence in the region is the largest since the operation in Iraq in 2003, WP noted.
Meanwhile, the Greek newspaper Proto Thema reported that the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, along with dozens of additional aircraft, had arrived at the US base in Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete and will remain there until February 27.
In January, the White House warned that it was ready to use force if Tehran fails to engage in talks aimed at reaching a "fair deal" under which Iran completely drops any plans to obtain nuclear weapons. The Iranian government has repeatedly said it had no plans of creating a nuclear bomb.
On February 17, the second round of negotiations between the US and Iran on the nuclear issue took place in Geneva, mediated by Oman. According to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the parties reached mutual understanding on a number of issues, which could serve as a basis for a draft future agreement on the nuclear program. US Vice President JD Vance said that the talks went well on a number of aspects, but Tehran is not yet ready to accept some of the fundamental positions outlined by the White House. Earlier, the United States and Israel insisted that Iran not only scrap its nuclear program, but also stop producing ballistic missiles and supporting pro-Iranian forces in the Middle East.