12 US F-22 fighter jets arrive in airbase in southern Israel

Twelve American F-22 fighter jets have landed at an airbase in southern Israel, the Kan broadcaster said, Report informs.

According to Kan, the fighter jets arrived in Israel as part of the US military deployment campaign in the Middle East.

The Washington Post (WP) noted earlier, citing satellite images and flight data analysis, that the United States has increased its military presence near Iran, stationing more than 150 aircraft at bases in Europe and the Middle East following the Washington-Tehran negotiations in Geneva on February 17.

The current US military presence in the region is the largest since the operation in Iraq in 2003, WP noted.

Meanwhile, the Greek newspaper Proto Thema reported that the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, along with dozens of additional aircraft, had arrived at the US base in Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete and will remain there until February 27.