US to deploy F-35 fighters in the Middle East
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The US Department of Defense decided to deploy additional F-35 and F-16 fighter jets in the Middle East to monitor the Iranian harassment in the waters and straits, said Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon spokeswoman, on Monday.
“The department is increasing our presence and ability to monitor the Strait [of Hormuz] and surrounding waters,” Singh added, without providing many additional details.
Early in July, US Navy Fifth Fleet spokesperson Timothy Hawkins said that Iranian warships tried to seize two oil tankers passing through international waters near the Strait of Hormuz, adding that it foiled both attempts.
“My assessment, and we have some evidence to support this, is that as Russia and Iran have pulled themselves closer together, that there is interest on both sides to push us out of Syria, to put a pressure campaign on us,” the official said.
Many of the seizure and harassment incidents have taken place in and around the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow but strategic passageway of the Persian/Arabian Gulf lies between Iran and Oman. It is a transit point to some 20% of all crude oil.
The official pointed out that Syria, Iran and Russia share interests in pushing the US forces away from the region. “There’s a degree of cooperation, collaboration, planning, where they potentially are looking at how they pressure us over time to push the U.S. out.”
She believes that there is a “qualitative difference here now” in the Iranians’ aggressive stance given the strengthened relationship between Iran and Russia forged during the latter’s war in Ukraine.