US Sends Fighter Jets to UAE To Send Message After Houthi Attacks

The United States sent an undisclosed number of F-22 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates over the weekend, in the wake of drone and rocket attacks on major cities in the UAE. The US military fighter jets arrived at the Al-Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, where about 2,000 US troops are housed. At least six of the aircraft were seen on the runway of the base in a photo released by the US Air Force. The jets, known as Raptors, and their airmen are deployed from the 1st Fighter Wing, located at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia, according to the US Air Force. They were deployed in cooperation between the Pentagon and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, de facto leader of the UAE. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have in the last month targeted Abu Dhabi in the UAE, striking a fuel storage station that killed three, and launching attacks during the visits of the president of Israel and the president of South Korea. The UAE is a member of the Saudi-led coalition of Arab countries that support the internationally recognized government of Yemen.