The US Department of Defence sending F-35 fighter jets and a Navy destroyer, along with F-16 aircraft, to the US Central Command in the Middle East is a significant military development in geopolitics. While Washington cites Iranian threats to navigation in the Gulf waters as a reason, it is not a new situation deserving such urgent action.
Sabrina Singh, Deputy Press Secretary for the Pentagon, hastily held a press briefing on July 17 to announce that, in response to recent disturbing events in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. Defence Secretary ordered the deployment of the USS Thomas Hudner destroyer, F-35, and F-16 fighter jets to the US Central Command area to defend American interests and protect freedom of navigation in the region.
American analyses converge in confirming that the US is bolstering the use of fighter jets around the strategic Strait of Hormuz to safeguard ships from recent Iranian threats in the region. Other sources leaked that there were factors which created concerns in Washington and the US military about the growing relations between Iran, Russia, and Syria throughout the Middle East. These sources believe that this concern has increased following the US announcement in June about sending F-22 fighter jets to the region.
However, what has been announced in Washington might hide what hasn’t been disclosed regarding the size of the forces sent to the region. The situation remains subject to further notice regarding the means of negotiations and power displays, whether related to the Iran issue or the conflicts with Moscow and Beijing.
[by Mohamad Kawas in Sky News Arabia]