US deploys F-15 fighter jets to Middle East in warning to Iran

Pentagon spokesman says the US will take ‘every measure’ to defend American personnel and interests in the region

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US F-15 fighter jets. The Pentagon said on Thursday it had despatched jets to the Middle East. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 6:31am, 8 Nov 2024Updated: 11:03am, 8 Nov 2024

American F-15 fighter planes arrived in the Middle East on Thursday, the US military said, after Washington announced the deployment of additional assets to the region in a warning to Iran.

“Today, US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles from the 492nd Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England, arrive in the US Central Command area of responsibility,” the military command responsible for the Middle East said on social media.

The United States announced on November 1 that it was sending bombers, fighter and tanker aircraft and ballistic missile defence destroyers to the Middle East.

“Should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every measure necessary to defend our people,” Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said in a statement on the deployment.

Israel launched strikes against Iran on October 26, hitting military infrastructure while steering clear of critical nuclear and oil sites, and the country’s supreme leader has vowed that Tehran will retaliate for Israeli attacks.

Iran has carried out two major attacks against Israel in 2024 – one in April after a strike on its consulate in Damascus, Syria that was blamed on Israel, and another in October that Tehran said was in response to the assassination of leaders of armed groups it backs in the Middle East.