A U.S. Air Force F-35 flies above the Persian Gulf in December 2019.
The Pentagon is sending F-35s to the Middle East to help patrol waterways in the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman, joining A-10s and F-16s already deployed amid what the Defense Department alleges is more destabilizing activity by Iran.
The Pentagon’s announcement did not provide a timeline for the deployment or the variant or service of the F-35s. Defense Department Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said the decision was made by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Erik Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command, following a series of incidents of Iranian ships harassing vessels in the region.
“We call upon Iran to immediately cease these destabilizing actions that threaten the free flow of commerce through this strategic waterway,” Singh says.
The Pentagon announced July 13 that the F-16s would also be deployed to the region. A-10s were deployed to the region last month.
The F-35s are “just an additional asset to help,” Singh says.
The deployment comes after Iran attempted to seize two oil tankers earlier this month, opening fire on one of the ships. The U.S. Navy deployed a guided missile destroy to intervene, along with a P-8 maritime surveillance aircraft and MQ-9 surveillance drone.
“We are working closely between the maritime and air components to ensure that there’s adequate air cover, that there’s adequate maritime surface presence in order to deter Iran from going after oil tankers,” a senior defense official said in announcing the F-16 deployment.
These deployments are in addition to sending F-22s to the Middle East in response to Russian aircraft harassing U.S. aircraft and ground positions over the past few months.
