Washington, Feb 23: The United States has been deploying multiple C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft to West Asia since January 2026, according to open-source intelligence data, triggering speculation about a possible military build-up amid ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran.
Flight-tracking data monitored by social media users indicates that at least nine C-17 aircraft have been moved to the region in recent weeks, suggesting a sustained increase in US military logistics activity.
The C-17, regarded as the backbone of US strategic airlift capability, can transport heavy equipment, troops and supplies, and operate from short and austere airfields. Similar movements were witnessed during the 2003 Iraq invasion and the US military escalation in Afghanistan.
The deployment comes as Washington and Tehran continue negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme. A second round of talks, mediated by Oman, concluded on February 17 in Geneva without a major breakthrough.
The US has reportedly proposed a “zero uranium enrichment” clause, while Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has asserted that nuclear energy is the country’s “undeniable right.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said recently that “a new window of opportunity has opened,” signalling cautious optimism despite the lack of concrete progress.
In a parallel move, former US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, to the Middle East. The USS Abraham Lincoln is already stationed in the region.
The stepped-up military activity has fuelled online debate over whether Washington is laying strategic groundwork amid heightened tensions with Tehran. Diplomatic efforts remain underway, but no agreement has been reached so far.
