Middle East

Military news from the Middle East.

Latest in Middle East

Two U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft fly alongside a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Dec. 30, 2025. The F-16 played a key role in executing airpower missions, deterring aggression, and participating in broader security across the CENTCOM AOR. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Monteleone)

US service member dies of injuries from Iranian strike on Saudi Arabia

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted 16 Hours Ago

An F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 151, prepares to launch from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 6, 2026. Abraham Lincoln is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East. (U.S. Navy photo)

US strikes continue as Iran war enters its second week

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted 18 Hours Ago

Top row: Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, Capt. Cody A. Khork, Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens. Bottom row: Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor and Sgt. Declan J. Coady.

Pentagon names soldiers killed in Iranian drone strike

By Jeff Schogol, Nicholas Slayton

Updated on Mar 5, 2026

251217-N-QR679-1019 PACIFIC OCEAN (Dec. 17, 2025) - Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Asheville (SSN 758) steams forward off the coast of Guam during a photo exercise, Dec. 17, 2025. Assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 15 at Polaris Point, Naval Base Guam, Annapolis is one of five fast-attack submarines forward-deployed in the Pacific. Renowned for their unparalleled speed, endurance, stealth, and mobility, fast-attack submarines serve as the backbone of the Navy's submarine force, ensuring readiness and agility in safeguarding maritime interests around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. James Caliva)

Why Iran’s warship ‘didn’t have a chance’ against a Los Angeles-class submarine

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Mar 4, 2026

U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, makes an announcement aboard Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in the Arabian Sea, Feb. 7, 2026. Abraham Lincoln is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations to support maritime security and stability in the Middle East. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sonny Escalante)

Top officer in Middle East tells US troops ‘you will change the course of human history’

By Patty Nieberg

Updated on Mar 3, 2026

Missiles launch from a U.S. Navy warship as part of Operation Epic fury, the attack on Iran.

US launches ‘major combat operations’ against Iran

By Nicholas Slayton

Updated on Feb 28, 2026

An Army Black Hawk helicopter lands at the al-Tanf base in Syria in April 2025. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Fred Brown.

US hits dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria amid base withdrawals

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Feb 14, 2026

The world’s largest aircraft carrier, Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), departs Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Dec. 6, 2025. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. (U.S. Navy photo)

US sends Ford aircraft carrier, fresh off Venezuela operations, to the Middle East

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Feb 14, 2026

Long-range weapons and other technologies are blurring the lines between combat and non-combat situations for sailors.

As naval combat evolves, there will be few ‘safe havens’ in a future war

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Feb 11, 2026

Caption: An A-10 Warthog flies by for close-air support while taking part in live-fire training with the USS Santa Barbara on Feb. 2, 2026. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Iain Page.

A-10 and LCS, both headed for retirement, spotted together in the Middle East

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Feb 10, 2026

U.S. Air Force Gen. Steven Nordhaus, chief of the National Guard Bureau, awardd three F-16 pilots from the 121st Fighter Squadron, District of Columbia Air National Guard, the prestigious Distinguished Flying Cross with “C” device for combat in a ceremony on Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Feb, 1, 2026. The awards recognize actions by Majs. Benjamin “Boom” Saunders, Eric “Fume” Anderson and Capt. Ryan “Hammer” Boodee on April 13, 2024 while deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia.

Air Guard pilots downed over a dozen Iranian drones to earn Distinguished Flying Crosses

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Feb 5, 2026

A U.S. Army Soldier, assigned to 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), pulls security from the top of a humvee during a training exercise at the Joint Readiness Training Center on Fort Polk, Louisiana, Aug. 23, 2025. JRTC is designed to improve unit readiness through force-on-force exercises that prepare Soldiers for missions they may be assigned in real-world operations. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Mariah Aguilar)

Soldiers with the 10th Mountain Division are headed back to the Middle East

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Feb 3, 2026

Image: U.S. Air Force Capt. Josiah Bierle, 75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron pilot, awaits takeoff in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Dec. 30, 2025. Stationing A-10s in the CENTCOM AOR reinforces U.S. commitment to regional stability and strengthens deterrence against potential threats. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jonah Bliss)

An A-10 Warthog named ‘Diddy Kong’ is operating in the Middle East

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jan 26, 2026

F-15s in Middle East

F-15 squadron that took out Iranian drones returns to the Middle East

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jan 21, 2026

Image: U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Jan. 10, 2026) U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II prepare to taxi at base in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of Operation Hawkeye Strike, Jan. 10, 2026. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Airstrike kills militant leader linked to ambush on US soldiers in Syria

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jan 17, 2026

U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Dec. 19, 2025) A U.S. Air Force chaplain prays over an A-10 Thunderbolt II at a base in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Dec. 19, 2025. (U.S. Air Force Photo)

An A-10 taking part in Syria airstrikes sports ‘Metroid’ nose art

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jan 12, 2026