The US military has beefed up its presence in the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran after nuclear talks plunged into uncertainty on Wednesday before being moved to Oman.
US and Iranian officials were expected to meet in Istanbul on Friday, with several Middle Eastern countries participating as observers.
“The agreement to move forward with this only came after several leaders of Arab countries lobbied the Trump administration today – advocating that the US should not walk away,” the source said.
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Satellite images show US military assets at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base Aoi Two in Jordan as diplomatic efforts continue. (Planet Labs PBC)
Satellite images of Plant laboratories shows U.S. aircraft, naval vessels and logistics platforms positioned throughout the region in late January.
Sheers warned that visible movements alone do not indicate a strike is imminent. He said that “the positioning of platforms is not the only condition for preparing for a strike.”
“Additional maintenance equipment, ammunition and intelligence, among other things, may still be required before a desired attack can be conducted,” he said, adding that “operational details will be kept secret and difficult to discern based on aircraft and ship movements alone.”
US naval assets in the region include the aircraft carrier strike group based around the USS Abraham Lincoln, operating in the Arabian Sea, as well as destroyers deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea regions.
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Military assets are being deployed across the Middle East, including Oman’s Ospreys Duqm Airport, as nuclear negotiations are moved amid escalating tensions. (Planet Labs PBC)
The footage from Duqm Airport in Oman appears to show an American V-22 Osprey aircraft net curtainswho reviewed the footage said he “could support search and rescue missions to recover personnel after a mission.”
Images from Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Azraq, Jordan, appear to show C-130 aircraft, which Sheers said could be used for “sea search and rescue or other logistical operations.”
“It is clear that multirole fighter aircraft are based here, which would support ground attack and defensive counter-air operations,” Sheers added, stating that helicopters were also visible, although their type, he said, could not be determined from the available images.
Sheers also cited the presence of the Iranian drone aircraft carrier Shahid Bagheri, saying its potential role could be to “harass, fatigue or distract U.S. surface ships in the area” and force U.S. forces to spend time and ammunition defending themselves.
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Satellite images show Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and C-130 aircraft. (Planet Labs PBC)
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said the US would only engage in meaningful talks if it addressed Iran’s ballistic missile program, support for militant groups in the Middle East and treatment of its own people, in addition to its nuclear activities.
“If the Iranians want to meet, we are ready. They have expressed interest in meeting and talking. If they change their minds, that’s fine with us too. We prefer to meet and talk,” Rubio told reporters at the inaugural meeting of Critical Minerals ministers at the State Department.
On Tuesday, US forces shot down an Iranian drone approaching the Abraham Lincoln in international waters, according to US Central Command, underscoring rising tensions.
“What is clear is that the United States is moving a variety of intelligence, logistics, search and rescue, strike and air defense platforms into the region,” Sheers added.
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“These are clear signals to Iran that U.S. strike capabilities are increasing, but the potential timing and targets of a possible attack are not clear and may not become clear,” he said.
