US Air Force redeploys F‑22s to Europe as F‑35s continue strikes on Iran

The U.S. Air Force refueled an F‑35A stealth fighter over the Middle East as part of Operation Epic Fury, a joint U.S.–Israeli campaign that has struck more than 5,500 targets inside Iran and involves over 50,000 U.S. troops in the region.

At the same time, the United States moved 12 F‑22 Raptor fighters from Middle Eastern bases to RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, signaling a strategic shift that prioritises a European theater in response to Russian activity and the war in Ukraine. The relocation underscores a broader recalibration of U.S. airpower, moving its premier air‑superiority assets away from asymmetric threats in the Middle East toward potential high‑end threats in Europe.