{"id":537622,"date":"2026-07-12T10:56:20","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T10:56:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/537622\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T10:56:20","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T10:56:20","slug":"f-22-raptors-arrive-in-england-after-deployment-to-israel-for-iran-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/537622\/","title":{"rendered":"F-22 Raptors Arrive In England After Deployment To Israel For Iran War"},"content":{"rendered":"

The TWZ Newsletter<\/p>\n

Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.<\/p>\n

Ten U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors<\/a> arrived at RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom<\/a> Friday morning local time from Ovda Air Base in Israel. As we previously reported<\/a>, the jets, from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, had been deployed to Ovda since late February to take part in attacks on Iran. The move, one of another retrograde movements of U.S. airpower<\/a> in the past few weeks, comes as tensions have spiked<\/a> in the Middle East. <\/p>\n

The movement is the latest in a number of similar operations. On July 1<\/a>, U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers<\/a> departed from Fairford, where they were forward deployed for Epic Fury, for instance. Other tactical jets have also returned home, with some being replaced and others not. RAF Fairford acts as a major hub for transatlantic U.S. military aircraft movements. <\/p>\n

Local spotters say the jets arrived at Fairford in three waves. An aviation photographer who uses the @Saint1Mil handle on X<\/a> was kind enough to share three photos with us, including the main image above.<\/p>\n

\"\"@Saint1Mil <\/p>\n

\"\"@Saint1Mil <\/p>\n

Online open-source flight trackers followed the flight of these jets and their aerial refueling tanker support.<\/p>\n

During Epic Fury, \u201cRaptors executed precision missions against Iranian air defenses, nuclear-related infrastructure and command nodes linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC),\u201d U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) noted in its Citadel publication<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn March 1, F-22s opened the campaign by suppressing S-300 and Bavar-373 batteries, clearing corridors for follow-on coalition strike aircraft entering defended airspace,\u201d the command added. <\/p>\n

Between March 1 and 9, \u201cthe stealth fighters flew more than 200 combat sorties while remaining undetected by Iranian radar networks throughout the operation,\u201d CENTCOM explained. \u201cF-22 Raptor used its low-observable design and advanced sensors to penetrate defended airspace and deliver precision weapons against strategic Iranian regime facilities during the campaign.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"An F-22 Raptor in the CENTCOM region. (CENTCOM) <\/p>\n

The targets included \u201cinfrastructure connected to the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant and Natanz Nuclear Facility,\u201d CENTCOM noted. \u201cRaptors employed GBU-39\/B Small Diameter Bombs and GBU-32 Joint Direct Attack Munitions internally, preserving stealth while striking multiple hardened targets with precision guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n

The aircraft \u201calso coordinated with B-2 Spirit bombers and EA-18G Growler electronic attack jets in layered strike packages designed to overwhelm Iran\u2019s integrated air defenses,\u201d according to CENTCOM. \u201cThe regime\u2019s forces launched dozens of surface-to-air missiles during the nine-day campaign, U.S. officials said none were successfully tracked or locked onto the stealth fighters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit assigned to the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air Force Base. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Vincent De Groot) Vincent De Groot<\/p>\n

The Raptors\u2019 arrival at Fairford from Ovda this morning came as the U.S. and Iran ramped up attacks on each other this week. Iran also struck targets in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan during a flare-up sparked by the IRGC\u2019s attacks on three tanker ships in the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n

As we previously noted<\/a>, this latest round of fighting was touched off Tuesday when Iran attacked three ships<\/a> in the Strait of Hormuz. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump and Iranian officials declared<\/a> that the shaky ceasefire agreed to on April 8<\/a> was over.\u00a0<\/p>\n

.@POTUS<\/a> on the status of the ceasefire with Iran: “To me, I think it’s over. I don’t want to deal with them anymore. They’re scum\u2026 They’re led by sick people\u2026 I’ll speak to our negotiators. They want to negotiate\u2014they’re good people\u2026 but they have to come back to me. As far\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/6eYfwMxSdn<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 8, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

By Friday evening local time, there were no new reports of attacks while there are indications of a push to rekindle peace negotiations.<\/p>\n

CNN on Friday reported<\/a> that \u201cQatari negotiators \u2014 in coordination with the U.S. \u2014 have traveled to Iran<\/a> to meet officials there. An American official earlier said the U.S. was deliberately striking and then pausing<\/a> to avoid escalation and let diplomacy work out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddf6\ud83c\udde6Qatari negotiators have travelled to Iran, in coordination with the US, to meet with Iranian officials in an effort to de-escalate the situation and create the conditions for negotiations to resume, according to a diplomat with knowledge of the visit
\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddf6\ud83c\udde6The diplomat said\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/w8pTAW5hHf<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) July 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

That\u2019s a scenario one former CENTCOM commander laid out for us earlier this week.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the immediate way forward will be controlled escalation focused on a military campaign to degrade the regime\u2019s ability to disrupt activities in the Gulf,\u201d Joseph Votel<\/a>, who led the command from March 2016 to March 2019, told us on Tuesday<\/a>, when the flare-up first erupted.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

As we have frequently noted<\/a>, the two sides signed a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding<\/a> (MoU) on June 17. The MoU provided a 60-day extension of the ceasefire to iron out an agreement to end fighting throughout the region, including Lebanon, prevent Iran from seeking nuclear weapons, end U.S. sanctions and resume the flow of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz among other points.<\/p>\n

Control over the Strait has proven to be the biggest flashpoint, as evidenced by the aforementioned flare-up of fighting. <\/p>\n

You can see video of some of the attacks by CENTCOM below.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udea8 CENTCOM RELEASES THE HIGHLIGHT REEL
U.S. Central Command says American forces completed another round of strikes against Iran on July 8, hitting approximately 90 Iranian military targets along the coastline.
Targets included air defense systems, coastal surveillance assets,\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/y2HiEMNWdy<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) July 9, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

It is not completely clear if the Raptors that are now heading back to Langley will be replaced. We reached out to Air Combat Command and the 1st Fighter Wing for details. <\/p>\n

As we have frequently reported<\/a>, given that the U.S. began building up forces in the region in January<\/a>, many of the ships, aircraft and troops will have to \u2018retrograde\u2019 out of the CENTCOM area of responsibility in the coming weeks and months. We\u2019ve already seen aircraft like the B-52s we mentioned earlier in this story, A-10 Thunderbolt II close attack jets<\/a>, F-15Es and other assets return from the region. Some have been replaced and some have not. As a result, the future of the American footprint there remains a question mark despite the resurgence in hostilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Given the ebb and flow of fighting, it is hard to predict the future of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran and whether it will lead to lasting peace. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue \u2018talks,’\u201d Trump claimed Friday morning on Truth Social. \u201cWe have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!\u201d<\/p>\n

Should Trump opt to resume major combat operations, reconstituting a large force once it has been even partially drawn down would take time. It\u00a0would also add extreme stress on a force structure that has seen constant deployment surges over the last year. At the same time, there is immense global pressure to not restart the all-out fighting as markets are struggling to recover from the massive spike in oil prices. Back home, Trump\u2019s party already faces the midterm elections with low voter support for the war and an increasingly shaky economy. <\/p>\n

Regardless, a deadline is fast approaching to get a deal done with little incentive for Iran to give up what the U.S. wants beyond threats of more bombardment. <\/p>\n

Contact the author: howard@twz.com<\/p>\n

Howard is a Senior Staff Writer for TWZ. He writes frequently about conflict, focusing heavily on the Middle East and Ukraine, and interviews with military and intelligence officials and industry leaders from around the globe. He lives near Tampa, Florida, home of U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command.<\/p>\n

\t\t