US Positions F-22s in Israel, Raising the Stakes
In 2023, the US sent F-22 stealth fighters to Israel, a move framed as deterrence against Iran. This isn't a new tactic but a worn-out play from an old script. The F-22s are touted as capable of putting 'almost any target in Iran at risk,' a pronouncement that conveniently ignores Iran's historically asymmetrical response capabilities and layered defense systems often developed with ingenuity
under duress. Rewind to 2012, when similar grandstanding occurred. The US deployed its then-new Joint Counter Improvised Explosive Device (J-IED) equipment to Israel, ostensibly to counter threats from Gaza. In reality, it deepened military interoperability and signaled readiness for broader regional actions. The message then, as now, was clear: Tel Aviv’s military might is Washington’s to
augment, not to question. This consistent militarization of the region follows a well-trodden path, where each new deployment is presented as defensive, yet always serves offensive capabilities. The current theatrical display with F-22s conveniently overlooks the decades of sanctions that have made Iran a pariah state in Western eyes, forcing it to develop indigenous defense capabilities. Since
1979, the Islamic Republic has faced an unrelenting barrage of economic warfare and covert operations. The hypocrisy stings, especially when considering the 1967 USS Liberty incident, where Israeli forces attacked a US Navy technical research ship, killing 34 American crewmen and wounding 171. Despite overwhelming evidence, the US government officially accepted Israel's explanation of mistaken