F-16s Arrive To Protect Diego Garcia, F-22s Forward Deploy To Israel
Thomas Newdick
Wed, February 25, 2026 at 12:05 PM EST
Secretary of State Marco Rubio updated U.S. legislators on Iran just hours before President Donald Trump issued warnings over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions in his State of the Union address. In the past days, U.S. military forces in the region have grown to the highest levels seen since the lead-up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. New assets that have arrived include U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors, reportedly in Israel, while F-16s have been deployed to Diego Garcia to protect the Indian Ocean outpost against potential Iranian attacks.
Rubio provided a rare intelligence briefing for congressional leaders — the so-called “gang of eight” — which includes the senior lawmakers from both parties in the House and Senate, as well as the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate intelligence committees. The contents of the briefing are classified, but it underscores the wider preparations for potential significant military action against Iran.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 24: Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives in the chambers of the U.S. House of Representatives ahead of President Trumpâs State of the Union address in Washington, DC on February 24, 2026. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The “gang of eight” receives classified intelligence from the White House in the form of briefings, and their content can include preparations for military operations. It is notable that the last time Rubio publicly briefed the group was on January 5, one day after the U.S. military launched its successful operation to capture Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro.
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