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Tags: us armed forces | buildup | iran | middle east

US Accelerates Military Buildup in Middle East

By Brian Freeman | Sunday, 18 January 2026 04:54 PM EST

U.S. armed forces are accelerating their military presence in the Middle East amid the possibility that President Donald Trump will order an attack on Iran, The Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday.

Twelve more F-15 jets arrived in Jordan over the weekend, with additional fighter aircraft reportedly on their way.

In addition, an aircraft carrier, its strike group, and two destroyers are expected to enter the U.S. Central Command's area of responsibility in less than a week.

U.S. officials told the Post that "all options are now on the table," with the goal being to build a significant force in the Middle East that would provide Trump with a broad range of options should he decide to strike Iran.

Trump was reportedly persuaded on Wednesday to cancel an attack on Iran, in part because of the U.S.' limited operational capacity in the region, as many American assets had been redeployed to the Caribbean and East Asia after Israel's 12-day war against Iran in June.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also reportedly told Trump that Israel was not prepared to defend itself in the event of an Iranian response to an American strike, given that the U.S. military lacked sufficient forces in the region to assist as it had done in the past.

Netanyahu convened several ministers in the senior defense echelon on Sunday to discuss recent developments in the region, with Israeli officials stating that a "U.S. strike on Iran is still an option."

Brian Freeman ✉

Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.

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