Middle East (Page 2)

Military news from the Middle East.

Latest in Middle East

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)
Middle East

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

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Mar 3, 2026

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

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. 
Middle East

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)
Middle East

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.
Middle East

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.
Middle East

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.
Middle East

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)
Middle East

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)
Middle East

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
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)
Middle East

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) 
Middle East

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

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jan 12, 2026

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

US, Jordanian air forces conduct dozens of airstrikes in Syria against ISIS

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jan 10, 2026

U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Dec. 19, 2025) A U.S. Airman prepares an A-10 Thunderbolt II for flight from a base in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Dec. 19, in support of Operation Hawkeye Strike. (U.S. Air Force photo)
Middle East

US forces launch strikes on ISIS in Syria in retaliation for the death of 2 soldiers

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Dec 19, 2025

Iowa National Guardsmen killed in Syria
Middle East

Army identifies 2 Iowa National Guardsmen killed in Syria attack

By Nicholas Slayton, Jeff Schogol

Posted on Dec 15, 2025

Troops from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Special Operations and the US-led anti-jihadist coalition, take part in heavy-weaponry military exercises in the countryside of Deir Ezzor in northeastern Syria, on March 25, 2022. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP) (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Middle East

Two US soldiers killed in ambush in Syria

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Dec 13, 2025

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach presents the Silver Star Medal to Lt. Col. William Parks during a ceremony at the Pentagon, Arlington, Va., Nov. 26, 2025. Parks also received the Bronze Star Medal during the ceremony. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Stuart Bright)
Middle East

Air Force F-16 pilot awarded Silver Star for actions in the Middle East

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Nov 28, 2025

Garrett Illerbrunn, center, and Lorna Illerbrun, kneeling, surrounded by friends and pilots from their former units at Garrett's retirement ceremony in early October. Garrett was severly wounded in a 2023 drone attack in Iraq.
Middle East

An 82nd Airborne pilot took his final flight two years after Iraq drone attack

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Oct 24, 2025

Soldiers of the 10th Mountain 2nd Brigade Combat team faced an unprecedented campaign of drone attacks during a deployment to Iraq and Syria in the fall of 2023.
Middle East

An Army brigade’s trial by fire against Iranian drones

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Oct 23, 2025

al-Asad air base attack
Middle East

In reversal, at least 250 US troops will remain at Iraq air base

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Oct 20, 2025

A US soldier gives the thumbs-up as an Israeli digger attempts to extricate a US military vessel (not pictured) that ran aground at a beach in the Israeli coastal city of Ashdod on May 25, 2024. The US military said four of its vessels, supporting a temporary pier built to deliver aid to Gaza by sea, had run aground in heavy seas. (Photo by Oren Ziv / AFP) (Photo by OREN ZIV/AFP via Getty Images)
Middle East

US to send 200 troops to monitor Gaza ceasefire

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Oct 10, 2025

U.S. Army Infantrymen, assigned to 10th Mountain Division, Task Force ARMADILLO, oversee M240B machine gun training in Syria, June 2, 2025. Night range operations provide a tactical advantage over adversaries, enhancing operational and soldier readiness. The Coalition is committed to building partner capacity and capabilities in order to maintain the lasting defeat of ISIS. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Trenton Pallone)
Middle East

US forces kill ISIS commander in charge of international attacks

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Sep 19, 2025

241102-N-AB116-7104 U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY (Nov. 2, 2024) Vice Adm. George Wikoff, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet, speaks to Sailors while touring the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). (Official U.S. Navy photo)
Middle East

Admiral who led Red Sea fight tapped to head Navy’s European operations

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Sep 19, 2025

DEIR EZ-ZOR, SYRIA - AUGUST 13: Military vehicles that the US military sent as a reinforcement, convoy to the bases controlled by PKK/YPG (PKK listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the U.S. and the EU and YPG which Turkiye consider as the extension of PKK in Syria) in Deir ez-Zor province in Syria, on August 13, 2023. (Photo by Omer Al Diri/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Middle East

US leaves Syrian base where American troops fought Wagner mercenaries

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Aug 4, 2025

A THAAD rocket battery fires, with one munition launching from the system in a plume of fire into the sky.
Middle East

The US used nearly a quarter of its most advanced missile interceptors against Iran

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jul 28, 2025

U.S. Army Special Forces, from 7th Special Forces Group, perform an amphibious assault demonstration during the Hyundai Air and Sea Show and U.S. Army SaluteFest, Miami Beach, Fla., May 25, 2024. The events, held throughout Memorial Day Weekend, provided engagement opportunities for visitors from around the world to learn about the people, technology and equipment of the U.S. military. (U.S. Army Photo by Master Sgt. Justin P. Morelli) (Components of image have been blurred to protect identity of the Soldier)
Middle East

Army warns special ops veterans in Florida of potential terrorist threat

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jul 18, 2025

Air Force officers inspect the Modernized Enterprise Terminal at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar in January 2016.
Middle East

More damage sustained than previously revealed in Iran missile attack on Qatar base

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jul 11, 2025

B-2 Spirit
Middle East

Leaked intel on Iran’s nuclear facilities came from report on whether to strike targets again

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jun 26, 2025

Sadr City
Middle East

US, Iran move out of ‘shadow war’ but threat from proxy militias may remain

By Patty Nieberg, Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jun 25, 2025

U.S. Air Force Capt. Trevor Williams, 912th Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron pilot, reviews maintenance records with Airman 1st Class Zander Rafter, 379th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (EAMXS) crew chief, and Elijah Wade, 379th EAMXS aircraft electrical and environmental systems specialist, at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, June 19, 2023. The KC-135 Stratotanker provides an aerial refueling capability in support of joint and coalition aircraft throughout the USCENTCOM area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jacob Cabanero)
Middle East

Iran launches missile attack at US military base in Qatar

By Nicholas Slayton, Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jun 23, 2025

Satellite imagery showing the aftermath of US strikes on the Fordow nuclear enrichment site in Iran on June 22, 2025.
Middle East

Operation Midnight Hammer damaged, but may not have destroyed Iran’s nuclear sites

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jun 22, 2025

A B-2 Spirit from the 509th Bomb Wing, 13th Bomb Squadron Whiteman Air Force Base, Miss., prepares to be refueled by a KC-135R Stratotanker from the 434th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind. during a nighttime aerial refueling mission over Southern Kansas, Oct. 21, 2015. The KC-135 has a system of exterior lights located on the belly of the aircraft, just behind the nose gear, and flood lights on the boom pod used to pass fuel to the receiver aircraft during low-light conditions. (U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Benjamin Mota)
Middle East

Pentagon releases details of ‘Midnight Hammer’ strikes against Iran

By Jeff Schogol

Updated on Jun 22, 2025

Five U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcons assigned to the 79th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron taxi within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, May 29, 2025. U.S. and Coalition forces are postured to rapidly establish credible, combat-ready forces within the AOR to deter adversary threats of aggression and, if necessary, respond with effective and overwhelming force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kevin Dunkleberger)
Middle East

2 aircraft carriers, 9 destroyers, and multiple fighter wings gather in the Middle East

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jun 20, 2025

USS Nimitz
Middle East

With USS Nimitz deployment, the US surges air and sea assets to the Middle East

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Jun 16, 2025

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer the USS Thomas Hudner taking part in the Formidable Shield exercise in May 2025.
Middle East

Navy destroyer, air defense systems help intercept Iranian missiles

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jun 15, 2025

250610-N-FS061-2001 NAVAL STATION ROTA, Spain – (Jun. 10, 2025) Cryptologic Technician (Collection) 3rd Class Tylar Keenan, assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile-destroyer USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79), mans the rail during sea and anchor detail as the ship returns to Naval Station (NAVSTA) Rota, Spain after patrol, Jun. 10, 2025. Oscar Austin completed its first patrol in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by U.S. 6th Fleet to defend U.S., Allied, and partner interests in the region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Jasmin L. Aquino)
Middle East

Crew of USS Oscar Austin awarded Combat Action Ribbons for Red Sea deployment

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Jun 10, 2025

19 Purple hearts lay on velvet ready to be awarded to Soldiers of the 39th Brigade Combat Team for wounds received while fighting in Iraq. The Purple Heart is the oldest and most expensive medal in the militarys arsenal of awards. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Rebekah-mae Bruns, 39th Brigade Combat Team Public Affairs)
Middle East

10 New York soldiers receive Purple Heart for injuries in Tower 22 attack

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on May 19, 2025

A F/A-18 Super Hornet flies in the night sky, with several stars visible behind it.
Middle East

US forces have hit more than 800 targets in Yemen since March

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Apr 27, 2025

A soldier looks on as troops march into a CH-47 Chinook in a desert plain.
Middle East

US military to pull more than 1,000 troops out of Syria

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Apr 19, 2025

A soldier in heavy camouflage holding a rifle crouches in a wooded and grassy area.
Middle East

Army announces latest unit rotations, including soldiers from Lithuania heading home

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Apr 19, 2025

An A-10 Thunderbolt II sits on a runway, mountains in the background.
Middle East

More A-10 Warthogs deploy to the Middle East

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Mar 30, 2025

Fighter jets fly past the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson on the open water.
Middle East

Pentagon orders second Navy carrier group to the Middle East

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Mar 22, 2025

The USS Gettysburg, a a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser and part of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, fires Tomahawk cruise missiles at Yemen on March 15, 2025.
Middle East

Air Force shoots down Houthi drones launched at Navy carrier strike group

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Mar 16, 2025

A F/A-18 takes off from a aircraft carrier at night.
Middle East

US carries out first airstrikes on Yemen in months

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Mar 15, 2025

Black and white aerial image of a burning car.
Middle East

US forces kill ISIS’s second in command in Iraq strike

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Mar 15, 2025

Black and white aerial footage showing a car driving down a road, explosions behind it.
Middle East

US strike kills military leader of Hurras al-Din in Syria

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Mar 1, 2025

Syria
Middle East

US strike kills a senior official of an al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Feb 17, 2025

Guantanamo Bay could hold 30,000 migrants in Trump deportation plans
Middle East

Guantanamo Bay could hold 30,000 migrants in Trump deportation plans

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Jan 29, 2025

The USS Indianapolis at sea with two smaller boats in front of it.
Middle East

The Navy is upgrading littoral combat ships to fight drones

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Jan 18, 2025

A F/A-18 fighter jet takes off from the deck of an aircraft carrier, smoke and steam trailing behind it.
Middle East

US Navy carries out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Dec 31, 2024

US Troops Deployed To Iraq
Middle East

National Guard soldier dies in Iraq in ‘non-combat’ incident

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Dec 30, 2024

A F/A-18F moves down the runway of an aircraft carrier.
Middle East

Navy shoots down its own F/A-18 in Red Sea fight

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Dec 22, 2024

An F/A-18F Super Hornet takes off at night, with a bright exhaust.
Middle East

Carrier Air Wing 9 flew hundreds of combat sorties while fighting Houthis

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Dec 16, 2024

U.S. Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, fires an M3 Carl Gustaf 8.4mm recoilless rifle while participating in a Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise (CALFEX) at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, May 7, 2024. The CALFEX tests each Soldier’s ability to adapt to different conditions while simulating real world conditions. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Zoe Y. Tourne)
Middle East

In Iraq and Afghanistan ‘our future was always written,’ but the next war is uncertain, says 101st commander

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Dec 13, 2024

On Dec. 8, Air Force warplanes, including B-52s, A-10s, and F-15s struck 75 ISIS targets across Syria.
Middle East

US warplanes strike 75 ISIS targets in Syria: ‘We saw the opportunity and we took it’

By Nicholas Slayton, Jeff Schogol

Updated on Dec 9, 2024

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Middle East

US to ‘remain vigilant,’ support stability after fall of Assad in Syria

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Dec 8, 2024

Sgt. Aneska S. Holness was presented the Purple Heart award during a ceremony at Fort Bliss, Texas for helping pull soldiers out of rubble after the Tower 22 attack while injured.
Middle East

Soldier who pulled others from rubble after Tower 22 attack awarded Purple Heart

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Dec 5, 2024

Houthi missile and drone attacks
Middle East

Navy destroyers shoot down 8 drones and 8 missiles launched by Houthis

By Jeff Schogol

Posted on Nov 12, 2024

Sgt. Quandarius Davon Stanley died of injuries sustained during the Gaza pier mission in May 2024.
Middle East

Soldier dies of injuries sustained in Gaza pier mission

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Nov 5, 2024

Close up of a patch on a Navy uniform. The patch shows the Tusken Raiders from Star Wars in crosshairs, with the caption "Houthi Hunting Club 2023-2024."
Middle East

Navy pilot spotted with patch depicting Houthis as ‘Star Wars’ sand people

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Nov 2, 2024

A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress, flies alongside a KC-10 Extender after receiving fuel on Jan. 6, 2021.
Middle East

US sending destroyers, B-52 bombers to the Middle East

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Nov 2, 2024

Navy reserve commander sentenced to prison for accepting bribes for paperwork for Special Immigrant Visas that should have gone to Afghan allies.
Middle East

Navy commander accepted bribes for Special Immigrant Visa papers that should have gone to Afghan allies

By Patty Nieberg

Posted on Oct 29, 2024

A US. Air Force B-2 Spirt assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base receives fuel from a U.S. Air Force KC-135 assigned to the 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard in the sky over northwest Missouri on August 29, 2018. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Vincent De Groot
Middle East

B-2 bombers strike Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Oct 17, 2024

A THAAD rocket battery fires, with one munition launching from the system in a plume of fire into the sky.
Middle East

Pentagon to send anti-air battery, dozens of troops to Israel

By Nicholas Slayton

Posted on Oct 13, 2024