Why is US deploying 50+ fighter jets to Middle East amid ongoing Iran nuclear talks

The United States has deployed over 50 fighter jets to the Middle East in the last 24 hours, according to a US official quoted by Axios. Reportedly, this is an expansion of the US military footprint in the region just as negotiations between Iran and the US over delicate issues are ongoing.

Several F-16s, F-22s, and F-35s have been tracked heading to the Middle East by independent trackers, sparking debate about the scale of the US deployment.

Military buildup during nuclear talks

The US military buildup in the Middle East comes at a time when indirect talks between Iran and the US over Iran’s nuclear issues are ongoing. The talks were ongoing in Geneva earlier today.

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According to a US official quoted by The Jerusalem Post, some progress has been made in the talks between Iran and the US over Iran’s nuclear issues. However, there is still a "need to be discussed.” The official stated that Iran has agreed to present proposals within two weeks to bridge the gap.

“The Iranians said they would come back in the next two weeks with detailed proposals to address some of the open gaps in our positions,” the official told the Post. “There were good meetings, but the gaps are still wide. There's still a lot of work to be done to reach an agreement.”

Aircraft carriers positioned in region

This air deployment comes after last week’s announcements that the United States would deploy its largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, to support the Middle East military buildup in preparation for a potential confrontation with Iran.

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The USS Gerald R. Ford and its accompanying vessels had been deployed in the Caribbean Sea until they were given notice of their new deployment location on Thursday, according to four anonymous U.S. officials cited by American media outlets.

The USS Abraham Lincoln and other major air and naval assets had been deployed in the region in January, showing the size of the current military deployment.