The Pentagon is sharply raising the stakes with Iran, surging stealth F‑22 Raptors and additional F‑16 “Wild Weasel” squadrons into the Middle East in what officials describe as a “clear, visible message of deterrence” — and analysts read as a rehearsal for a possible strike campaign.

Fresh F‑22s have quietly arrived at undisclosed bases in the CENTCOM region, joining tanker and AWACS aircraft to form a layered shield over U.S. troops, bases and shipping lanes. Their mission: dominate the skies, intercept drones and cruise missiles, and escort any future strike packages deep into contested airspace.

Even more telling is the influx of F‑16CJ Wild Weasels, jets built to do one thing above all: hunt and kill enemy air defenses. Armed with anti‑radiation missiles, jamming pods and precision bombs, they specialize in flushing out radar sites and surface‑to‑air missile batteries — exactly the systems Iran has spent years hardening around its nuclear and missile facilities.

U.S. officials insist there is “no decision for war,” framing the deployment as a response to recent drone and rocket attacks by Iran‑backed militias and stepped‑up naval harassment in the Strait of Hormuz. But in Tehran, Revolutionary Guard commanders are blasting the move as “psychological warfare,” putting their own missile units on higher alert and vowing that any U.S. strike will be met with direct retaliation on American bases and regional allies.

Oil prices are edging higher, shipping insurers are quietly raising rates, and diplomats are warning that a single miscalculation could turn this aerial chess match into open conflict. The question now: is Washington reinforcing the red line — or inching closer to crossing it?