Dozens of fighter jets, including F-35s, F-22s, F-15s and F-16s, left bases in the U.S. and Europe and were spotted heading to the Middle East by the Military Air Tracking Alliance, a team of about 30 open-source analysts that routinely analyzes military and government flight activity.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov is calling on Iran and "all parties" in the Middle East to show restraint as the U.S. continues military buildup.

Iran and the United States are sliding rapidly towards military conflict as hopes fade for a diplomatic solution to their standoff over Tehran’s nuclear programme, officials on both sides and diplomats across the Gulf and Europe say.

The Angry Kitten pods will give the fourth-generation fighters often tasked with the Wild Weasel missions much-needed extra protection.

The talks come as the U.S. ramps up its military presence in the Middle East and Iran holds large-scale maritime exercises.

The U.S. ⁠Congress ⁠could vote as soon as ⁠next week on whether to block President Donald Trump's ​ability to strike Iran without lawmakers' approval, as the U.S. military prepares for a ‌potential serious conflict with Iran ‌if diplomatic efforts fail.

Although the United States and ally Israel have a decisive military advantage over Iranian forces, there are ways for Tehran to make any attack painful, officials said.

President Donald Trump said he is considering limited military strikes to pressure Iran into signing a new nuclear deal, but bombing the country may have the opposite effect, risking a new destabilizing conflict in the Middle East.