Although the seven B-2 bombers launched from Missouri’s Whiteman Air Force Base that hit Iranian nuclear facilities received the most media attention, they were accompanied by an additional 120 aircraft. These included F-35 and F-22 stealth fighters, as well as refueling tankers and various intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. Submarines also launched Tomahawk cruise missiles at Iranian targets as part of what was termed “Operation Midnight Hammer.”

All the while, the Navy had five Aegis ships operating in the region, with SM-3 interceptors that were critical elements in Israel’s defense against incoming Iranian ballistic missiles. The Navy had two aircraft carriers operating in the region, with a third deploying to Europe that could also be redirected to the Middle East. Carrier-based F-35Cs provided air superiority and also acted as decoys in the strike on Iran.

The massive American military operation would appear to undermine the case — which a number of senior officials in the Trump administration have long put forward — that the U.S. should pull its forces........

© The Hill