Behind the rhetoric, the Pentagon has rapidly expanded its footprint in the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is already on station, with a second carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, en route. Dozens of additional US aircraft – including advanced F‑16, F‑22 and F‑35 fighters – have been deployed, giving Washington the capability for a sustained air campaign rather than a one‑off strike. Long‑range bombers could be launched from US soil or from bases such as Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.