An U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft assigned to the 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron lands in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility July 25, 2023. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Christopher Sommers
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Kuwait have all told the United States that they will not permit their airspaces or territories to be used as a launchpad against Iran, including for refueling and rescue operations, a senior U.S. official told the Middle East Eye (MEE) on April 2.
“They do not want to be drawn in,” the unnamed official told MEE.
The report came after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Iran over the weekend with bombing and secondary tariffs if an agreement on its nuclear program was not reached.
Trump reportedly gave Iran a two-month deadline to sign a new nuclear deal or face potential military action in a letter sent to Tehran last month. The Islamic Republic rejected any direct talks with the U.S. so long as Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign was in place. Still, it said that was willing to hold indirect talks.
In response to the Gulf states’ ban, the U.S. turned to the strategic Diego Garcia Air Base in the Indian Ocean as a staging ground for a possible attack on Iran, according to MEE.
The number of U.S. military cargo flights to the air base surged in recent weeks. At least four B-2 strategic stealth bombers were also spotted there.
A separate report released by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on April 2 shed more light on the U.S. military buildup in the Middle East.
According to WSJ, the U.S. recently deployed two Patriot air defense systems and one Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, THAAD, anti-missile system from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East. The report also revealed that additional F-35 stealth fighter jets, and MQ-9 combat drones were sent to the region.
Also on April 2, the Pentagon announced that the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman will be joined in the Middle East by the Carl Vinson “to continue promoting regional stability, deter aggression, and protect the free flow of commerce in the region.”
While significantly increasing U.S. forces in the Middle East in case President Donald Trump chooses to attack Iran, the White House was seriously considering Iran’s proposal for indirect nuclear talks, according to the Axios news website. U.S. officials speaking to the outlet on April 2 said that no decision has yet been made.
Iran denies seeking a nuclear weapon. However , it has ramped up its enrichment of uranium up to 60 percent purity. It is the only country in the world without a nuclear weapons program to do so.
All in all, Iran appears to be facing unprecedented pressure from the U.S. Still, a confrontation between the two remains highly unlikely.
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