US military disperses aircraft from key Middle East base: AP
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The dispersal comes amid Donald Trump's mulling over joining the war on Iran in support of the Israeli occupation.
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US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons fly in sync after an aerial refueling over an undisclosed location within the US Central Command area of responsibility during Ballast Cannon, on January 7, 2024 (US Air Force)
A major US military air base in the Middle East saw a significant dispersal of aircraft this weekend.
Al Udeid Air Base, located near Doha, Qatar, serves as the forward headquarters for the US Central Command. Normally, the base’s tarmac is crowded with transport planes, fighter jets, and drones.
However, a satellite image taken Wednesday by Planet Labs PBC and analyzed by The Associated Press revealed the tarmac nearly empty.
The US military has not commented on the change, but the move follows a similar dispersal of ships near the US Navy’s 5th Fleet base in Bahrain, a common tactic to protect assets from potential attacks.
The dispersal comes amid Donald Trump's mulling over joining the war on Iran in support of the Israeli occupation.
An exclusive report by The Guardian said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump has raised the possibility of launching a strike on Iran’s Fordow uranium enrichment facility, but only if the GBU-57 "bunker buster" bomb could guarantee destruction, according to sources familiar with internal deliberations.
Sayyed Khamenei warns of dire consequences if US joins war on Iran
The Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic of Iran, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, warned the United States on Wednesday against engaging militarily in support of the Israeli occupation’s war on Iran, threatening that such a move would "bring forth repercussions they could never mend."
"The Americans should know that any military intervention will have irreparable consequences for them," Sayyed Khamenei said, adding that "the US knows that intervention in Israeli aggression on Iran will leave them damaged far more than they could do to Iran."
He described US involvement as a clear indication of the Israeli occupation’s strategic weakness, saying, "The United States’ involvement in the aggression alongside the Israeli entity is an indication of the entity's weakness."
Sayyed Khamenei firmly stated that "the Americans must know that the Iranian people will not surrender or submit to dictates and threats," emphasizing Iran’s policy of reciprocal defense: "War will be met with war, bombardment with bombardment, strikes with strikes."
He condemned the Israeli occupation's actions, which he described as a "grave mistake" that will be punished. Additionally, Sayyed Khamenei emphasized that Tehran had anticipated US involvement long before the current escalation began, saying, "We had anticipated in advance that the United States would intervene alongside the Israeli aggression, and this is becoming clearer day after day."
