Haaretz analysis shows largest US military Airlift to Middle East since Gaza war

Citing open-source aviation data, a Haaretz analysis reports that the US military has undertaken its most significant offensive deployment to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023.

The analysis details that in March, at least 140 heavy US transport aircraft originating from key US military bases landed in Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Jordan, with mid-flight data indicating most were carrying equipment.

This buildup marks an approximate 50 percent increase over the previous monthly peak in US military flights to the region and includes the arrival of fighter jets, such as A-10 ground-attack aircraft deployed to Jordan and stealth F-35s sent to Saudi Arabia, accompanied by transport and refueling planes identified through flight-tracking platforms.

Satellite imagery also reveals the deployment of at least six B-2 stealth bombers, roughly a third of the US Air Force's fleet, to the US base on Diego Garcia, a location previously used for bombing missions in Afghanistan and Iraq within striking distance of both Iran and Yemen.