U.S. Surges Largest Mideast Airpower Since ’03 as Iran Strike Could Come ...

[SVPete]

U.S. Surges Largest Mideast Airpower Since ’03 as Iran Strike Could Come ‘Within Days’ — Israel on Highest Alert

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/02/19/u-s-surges-largest-mideast-airpower-since-03-as-iran-strike-could-come-within-days-israel-on-highest-alert/

The United States has assembled the largest concentration of airpower in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq invasion — deploying two aircraft carriers, advanced stealth fighters, refueling tankers, and layered missile defenses into theater — as multiple U.S. and Israeli reports warn President Donald Trump could authorize strikes on Iran “as soon as Saturday,” with talks described by American officials as “very far apart” and even a “near nothing-burger.”

Senior U.S. officials told CBS News that the military is prepared to launch strikes this weekend if ordered, with one official describing planning conversations as “fluid” but indicating forces are in place.
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The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday night that Washington is assembling “the greatest amount of air power in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq,” including additional F-35 and F-22 stealth fighters, F-15s and F-16s, airborne command-and-control aircraft, and dozens of refueling tankers essential for a sustained campaign.

A second carrier strike group led by the USS Gerald R. Ford is moving toward the Mediterranean to join the USS Abraham Lincoln, which is already operating in the broader region. Destroyers capable of intercepting ballistic missiles are accompanying both groups.
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The New York Times noted that Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems — previously thin in theater — have now been reinforced to protect the roughly 30,000–40,000 U.S. troops stationed across the region.

It looks like the build-up is air and sea assets, but not infantry, armor, or airborne personnel, very different from Iraq and Afghanistan. This suggests the goals would be to crush Iranian military and security capabilities rather than actual invasion.

Iran has been waging asymmetric war on the US since 1979, so SCROOM!