US Air Force Commander: We to maintain our presence in Middle East

And the commander of the US Air Force in the Middle East, Gregory Gillot, confirmed, Saturday, that "American pilots will continue to be stationed in the region," hinting at the possibility of conducting flights with Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, according to the Associated Press.

 Speaking to reporters ahead of the Dubai Air Show, General Gregory Gillot acknowledged that the US presence "can be adjusted" after the US withdrew from Afghanistan last August.

 The US Air Force operates a major base in Qatar, which has overseen operations in Afghanistan, as well as in Iraq and Syria.

 "But I don't see any scenario in which the United States does not play an important role," Gillot said.

 Gilot's comments come at a time when tensions remain high between Iran and the United States, after years of confrontation in the wake of former US President Donald Trump's decision to unilaterally withdraw from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers.

 Meanwhile, Israel is suspected of launching a series of attacks targeting Iran's nuclear program.

 As talks on the deal continued to falter, Iran elected a hard-line president, seized ships at sea and allegedly carried out drone attacks.

 Gilot has repeatedly refused to directly attribute recent drone attacks to Iran in the region, but acknowledged the growing number of such attacks in the region.

 "The cooperative defense of many countries in the region will be our key to discovering them and staying one step ahead of any threat as it develops," he said after his participation in the Dubai International Air Force Commanders Conference.

 Russia is expected to display its Sukhoi Su-75 CheckMate fighter jet at the Dubai Airshow this week.  It is the direct competition for the American fighter "F-35", which the UAE has been trying to buy since the normalization of relations with Israel last year.  The process of selling the plane has slowed under President Joe Biden's administration.

 When asked about the Russian fighter jet, Gilot said he hopes US allies and partners will use "interoperable" equipment with the US military.  He said the purchase of the Russian fighter would "certainly" affect that.

 Earlier this month, Bahrain and the UAE conducted a joint exercise with the US Navy and Israel in the Red Sea.

 "Aerial maneuvers with Israel and those countries can also take place," Gilot said.

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ANHA