The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
The 36-hour operation by the U.S. military to fly deep into Iranian airspace and use Air Force B-2s to drop massive bunker buster bombs on a heavily fortified Iranian nuclear complex traces its roots to the work of intelligence analysts over 15 years ago.