Iran says U.S. F-22s in UAE imperil regional security

The United States’ deployment of cutting-edge F-22 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates “will endanger the region's security,” Iran warned on Tuesday.

“We do not in any way approve the presence of foreign forces in the region. We advise the regional countries against providing a basis for their presence,” foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast told reporters.

His comment reinforced criticism voiced on Monday by Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi, who was quoted by the al-Alam channel as saying: “Such deployments in the region are both harmful and useless.

They are mostly done to create a psychological trend and a sense of insecurity in the region.” U.S. officials speaking on condition of anonymity on Monday said an unspecified number of F-22 Raptors had been sent to the al-Dhafra air base in the United Arab Emirates.

A U.S. Air Force spokeswoman confirmed the presence of the aircraft -- the most advanced fighters in the U.S. arsenal -- in the general region, while a Pentagon spokesman, Captain John Kirby, described it as “a very normal deployment.”

The dispatch of the F-22s, though, comes at a moment of high tension in the Gulf. The United States is leading its allies in a showdown with Iran over its controversial nuclear program.

While the issue is currently the subject of talks, the next round of which will take place in Baghdad on May 23, Israel and the United States have both warned that military action remains an option should diplomacy fail.