- LATEST
- WEBSTORY
- TRENDING
WORLD
US deploys F-22 fighters to Qatar amid tensions with Iran
The deployment comes a week after an Iranian surface-to-air missile shot down a US spy drone over the Strait of Hormuz
Updated : Jun 30, 2019, 06:28 AM IST | Edited by : Sanal Sudevan
 "File photo:")
TRENDING NOW
)
Shilpa Shetty breaks down, Salman Khan cancels shoot; celebs rush to Lilavati hospital after Baba Siddique shot dead
)
Amid divorce rumours of Aishwarya, Abhishek Bachchan, video of Jaya announcing his engagement with Karisma goes viral
)
Bigg Boss 18: Rajat Dalal, Vivian Dsena, Avinash Mishra, Chahat Pandey, top 5 most popular contestants this week
)
'Thanks for...': Abhishek Bachchan's viral statement amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai
)
Aishwarya Rai's biggest flop was rejected by Priyanka Chopra, ruined director's career, didn't earn even Rs 10 crore
)
Amaran box office collection day 4: Sivakarthikeyan-starrer becomes highest-grossing film in his career, earns Rs...
)
'Dusre ki biwi ko chheen ke...': Arya Babbar roasts Arjun Kapoor with Malaika Arora reference after Singham Again
)
'Fake drama': Sania Mirza, Shoaib Malik celebrate their son Izhaan's birthday in Dubai; netizens troll Pak cricketer due
)
This Amitabh Bachchan film was major flop, fans tore seats in anger, superstar had to re-dub movie, later it became...
)
Aishwarya Rai fans express anger after Abhishek Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan skip her birthday post: 'She needs to...'
)
Rupali Ganguly's husband Ashwin breaks his silence after his daughter calls Anupamaa fame 'psychotic, cruel-hearted'
)
Meet IAS officer who cracked UPSC exam twice without coaching, became youngest IPS at 21, is Vikas Divyakirti's...
)
Pakistani TikTok star Minahil Malik reacts after leaked video with boyfriend goes viral, says, 'I'm done...'
)
Meet woman, IIT dropout, who became actor, then left Bollywood during her career peak to join Google as...
)
Gandii Baat, XXX show actress Aabha Paul looks stunning in sultry photos, sexy videos
The United States deployed F-22 stealth fighters to Qatar for the first time, in a bid to increase its military forces in the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran.
The US Air Forces Central Command, in a statement on Friday, said that the Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighters have been deployed to "Qatar for the first time in order to defend American forces and interests."
However, the military did not specify how many of the hi-tech planes had been sent, Al Jazeera reported.
The deployment comes a week after an Iranian surface-to-air missile shot down a US spy drone over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has said that the drone was intruding its airspace, while Washington claimed it was over international waters.
Since then the two countries have been locked in a diplomatic spat of words, which escalated this week when Washington announced new sanctions against Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
In May, the US Air Force deployed several nuclear-capable B-52 Stratofortress bombers to the Gulf in response to what the US Defence Department described as a possible plan by Iran to attack US forces in the region, as well as an aircraft carrier task force.
The F-22 was created as the replacement of the successful F-15 Eagle in the early 2000s. The US Air Force claims it "cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft".
In the aftermath of the Gulf War in 1991, the US and Qatar had signed a military cooperation agreement after which the US military moved to Qatar in 2003, evacuating the Prince Sultan Airbase in Saudi Arabia.
Strategically placed, around 80% of aerial re-fuelling in the region is being done from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, according to Qatari officials.
