Skip to main content
Live Blog Update| War on Iran

Flight data suggests possible US troop movement toward Middle East

Open-source flight-tracking data indicated possible movement of US military personnel from the East Coast toward the Middle East, with multiple flights departing from Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The data reported by the Anadolu news agency suggests elements of the 82nd Airborne Division’s Immediate Response Force could be involved, though it remains unclear who is on board.

Defence officials told The New York Times that such forces had been considered in planning but that no deployment had been ordered.

Flight data shows dozens of US military transport aircraft heading to bases in Israel and Jordan since the conflict began, as Washington maintains heightened readiness. 

A member of the ground crew prepares a USAF B-1 bomber before dawn at RAF Fairford airbase, used by United States Air Force (USAF) personnel, amid the U.S.–Israeli conflict with Iran, in Fairford, Gloucestershire, Britain, March 23, 2026. REUTERS/Toby Shepheard
Ground crew member prepares a USAF B-1 bomber used by US Air Force in Britain on 23 March 2026. REUTERS/Toby Shepheard