US air power buildup in Middle East is largest since 2003 Iraq invasion — report

19 February 2026, 9:33 am

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This photo provided by the US Navy shows sailors preparing a Boeing EA-18G Growler on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Indian Ocean on January 21, 2026. (Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Daniel Kimmelman/US Navy via AP, File)

The buildup of US air power in the Middle East is the biggest since the 2003 invasion that launched the Iraq War, the Wall Street Journal reports.

That invasion, which began a devastating war that lasted more than eight years, began with what was called a “shock and awe” bombing campaign.

Now, the US is accumulating forces in the region as US President Donald Trump weighs a strike against Iran following its deadly crackdown on anti-regime protests last month. The US is negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program, but US officials have suggested that the talks have so far yielded little fruit.

The US has sent dozens of aircraft to the region as well as multiple aircraft carriers. The fighter jets include F-16s, F-22s and F-35s.

The report indicates that the American military buildup allows for a much longer campaign than the US strike on Iranian nuclear facilities during the Israel-Iran war last June, which was carried out with B-2 bombers.