Trump Doubles Down: Flight of F-22 Raptors Now Positioned Over Persian Gulf
This gives the mullahs something to think about.
As tensions continue to rise between the United States and the “Death to America” rulers of Tehran, the Trump administration has positioned some of the U.S. military’s most advanced fighter planes in the region.
And Iran should be getting the message.
Agence France-Presse reported Friday that F-22 Raptors are being deployed to Qatar for the first time.
As The Associated Press reported, the U.S. has already bulked up its forces in the area significantly.
However, the deployment would mark a significant escalation for the United States after a series of developments – including attacks on two oil tankers which the Trump administration blamed on the Iranian government and the downing of an American surveillance drone by Iran on June 20.
The U.S. maintains the surveillance drone was in international airspace at the time it was downed and had not entered Iranian airspace.
The initial coverage last week did not say how many of the planes were going to the Gulf region, but Fox Business News’ Liz Claman reported the number Tuesday as 12.
BREAKING: 12 F-22 Raptor fighter jets are reportedly now in position in the Persian Gulf. 3pET we’ll go live to the WH and @EdwardLawrence on @realDonaldTrump‘s next move w/ #Iran. Markets waiting and watching @ClamanCountdown
— Liz Claman (@LizClaman) July 2, 2019
The F-22 is a stealth aircraft, advanced far beyond anything the Iranian military could offer.
The deployment of the F-22s ensures the United States’s unquestioned air superiority in the event of any kind of military clash between the two nations. And if there ever was a shadow of a doubt about the eventual outcome of such a clash, even the crazed sons of the Islamic Revolution should have it dispelled.
Democrats and the liberal media will no doubt use the F-22 deployment as another excuse to bash the Trump administration for allegedly trying to provoke a war with the Iranian regime, but that explanation ignores two key facts.
The first is that, though downing the U.S. drone in international airspace was a provocative act that could well have spurred a deadly American retaliation, Trump called it off.
As usual, he kept all options on the table, but that’s not exactly a rush to war.
The other, and more important fact, is that the Iranian government has been war with it calls “the Great Satan” since 1979, when the Islamic Republic of Iran was established and the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism went into business.
If the presence of F-22s in the Gulf region make the hard cases of Tehran think twice about further provocations, their presence just might be enough to keep the lid on possible eruptions of violence.
And if nothing else, they’ll give the mullahs plenty to think about before they decide to launch any more attacks on the U.S. or its allies.
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