Twelve American F-22 stealth fighters landed at an Israeli Air Force base in southern Israel on Tuesday, part of a U.S. military buildup in the Middle East.
According to reports, the jets originated from RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom and were escorted by three KC-46A Pegasus and one KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft. The deployment comes ahead of the next round of nuclear negotiations with Iran.
4th and final cell of three F-22s departing Lakenheath. Not sure of the callsigns but I’m sure someone can confirm what they were. So that’s all 12 F-22s now on their way to the Middle East pic.twitter.com/WOAOiw95YT
— Glenn (@TallGlenn85) February 24, 2026
The F-22, the U.S. Air Force’s most advanced air-superiority fighter, is built for exceptional speed, agility, and stealth in air-to-air combat.
In recent days, open-source reports from the Military Air Tracking Alliance have tracked dozens of U.S. jets, including F-35s, F-22s, F-15s, and F-16s, making their way to the Middle East. The team has also monitored dozens of fuel tankers and hundreds of cargo flights entering the region since mid-February.
#USAF United States Air Force – Middle East Activity
23 February SummaryThe total number of C-17/C-5 flights related to the build up in CENTCOM has risen to around 270, with a further 16 in-progress (11 air force, 5 army). Additionally, there has been additional movements with… https://t.co/hjClOc6w13 pic.twitter.com/2pY8n24E9s
— Armchair Admiral 🇬🇧 (@ArmchairAdml) February 23, 2026
On Monday, U.S. refueling and cargo planes were observed at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel.
🇺🇸🇮🇱 Two U.S. Air Force KC-135 refueling aircraft landed early this morning at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Israeli officials declined to comment on the planes’ presence or whether Ben Gurion is being used as a stopover or transit point in support of potential… pic.twitter.com/ahJa45dvYf
— The threat of missiles and drones (@StatWatch25) February 23, 2026
Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran over the nuclear program, which aims to limit Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons are ongoing, with a meeting scheduled for Thursday in Geneva. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has reportedly been authorized to submit a counterproposal to the American negotiating team.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned that he will attack Iran if those talks fail. Iran has vowed to strike Israel and U.S. targets in the region in response.
On Monday, Trump dismissed Axios’ report that his top general, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, had voiced reservations about a potential strike.
“General Caine, like all of us, would like not to see war but, if a decision is made on going against Iran at a military level, it is his opinion that it will be something easily won,” Trump said.
On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump’s “first option is always diplomacy,” but added: “As he has shown, he is willing to use the lethal force of the United States military if necessary.”
She stressed that Trump will personally decide the course of action against Iran.
Meanwhile, amid renewed protests in Iran, the CIA on Tuesday released a Persian-language video instructing dissidents seeking assistance on how to securely contact the U.S. intelligence agency. “The Central Intelligence Agency can hear your voice and wants to help you. Below is the necessary guidance on how to securely contact us virtually,” the caption on the video post reads.
سلام. سازمان اطلاعات مرکزی (CIA) صدای شما را میشنود و میخواهد به شما کمک کند. در ادامه، راهنمایی لازم در مورد چگونگی برقراری تماس مجازی امن با ما ارائه شده است. pic.twitter.com/Dfq4zomz1n
— CIA (@CIA) February 24, 2026
What could possibly go wrong…