The Pentagon has deployed around a dozen F/A-18 fighter jets from the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier to a military base in the Middle East. The jets, accompanied by a E-2D Hawkeye surveillance aircraft, arrived at the undisclosed base on Monday, according to a US official.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the increased military presence in response to an expected attack by Iran following the assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah’s top commander Fuad Shukr.

The Navy jets’ deployment is expected to be temporary, as a squadron of Air Force F-22 fighter jets is en route to the same base from Alaska. The F-22s are expected to arrive in the coming days, and their combined presence may depend on the evolving situation in the region.