The United States has sent 18 additional F-35A fifth-generation American fighters from the UK to the Middle East, Army Recognition reported on Thursday.

They arrived at the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, where the largest group of American combat aircraft in the region, including 30 F-35A fighters, was stationed before the conflict with Iran.

Currently, the US tactical aviation group in the Middle East has about 300 combat aircraft, which are stationed at air bases in Jordan, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as on two aircraft carriers in the Arabian Sea. These include the F-35A, F-15E, F-16, F/A-18 fighters, as well as the A-10 bombers, which have been actively involved in the operation against Iran.

In addition, in the wake of two American military operations against Iran last week, the US has increased the number of its B-1B and B-52H strategic bombers at the front-line Fairford air base in the UK, with four additional aircraft arriving there.

Currently, the air base is home to 18 B-1B Lancer and nine B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers. During the conflict with Iran, they were used on a daily basis to strike the key Iranian facilities; in particular, the protected sites for the deployment, storage, and production of ballistic missiles.

The Pentagon does not report on the purpose of this transfer of additional military aviation units to the Middle East.