The U.S. Air Force is quietly executing one of its largest short-term airlift surges in years, moving an unusually high number of C-17 Globemaster III transports into the Middle East as tensions with Iran continue to rise.
Open-source flight trackers estimate that up to 112 U.S. C-17s have deployed toward the region since mid-January. In just nine days, at least 41 C-17s and one C-5M Super Galaxy were observed landing at bases across Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia.
Defense analysts say the tempo is striking — and not typical of routine rotations. Comparisons are already being drawn to Operation Desert Shield, when U.S. airlift operations laid the groundwork for the Gulf War.
The airlift comes alongside other U.S. moves, including a carrier strike group deployment and expanded missile defenses. While Pentagon officials describe the posture as deterrent in nature, analysts note that mass C-17 movements usually point to major force reinforcement or contingency preparation.
As Zero Hedge reports:
Iran and the US just concluded an initial round of indirect talks mediated by Oman, but despite some hopeful statements issued by either side, it is very clear Iran is not willing to negotiate its ballistic missile program – a sticking point being demanded by Washington. A second round is expected in the coming days, unless military action ensues first.
Iran’s foreign minister has newly questioned whether Washington is taking these talks seriously, or if they are merely a pretext for more time to allow for a US force build-up in the region.
FM Abbas Araghchi asserted Tehran is not intimidated but that this raises “doubts about the other party’s seriousness and readiness to engage in genuine negotiations.” He added: “We are closely monitoring the situation, assessing all the signals, and will decide whether to continue the negotiations.”
Prior to these weekend comments, the Iranian top diplomat stated, “If the United States launches an attack against us, we do not have the capability to attack its territory, so we would target American bases in the region. This would draw the entire region into war. We do not attack neighboring countries; we target American bases.”
For now, what exactly is being moved — and why — remains officially undisclosed.