News about Middle East • US • Iran

WASHINGTON, June 17 (Reuters) - The U.S. military is deploying more fighter aircraft to the Middle East and extending the deployment of other warplanes, bolstering U.S. military forces in the region as the war between Israel and Iran rages, three U.S. officials said.

The Pentagon is surging additional combat power to the Middle East and Europe as the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict shows no signs of cooling down. The USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is reportedly heading from East Asia to the Middle East.

The United States maintains several military assets and embassies across the Middle East, which Iran now considers legitimate targets for a counter-strike. "Task and Purpose" reports that the U.S. has two aircraft carriers, nine destroyers, and dozens of Air Force tankers deployed in the region.