The United States on Tuesday sent a group of F-22 Raptor fighter jets and Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refueling aircraft to Israel, according to a U.S. official and a person familiar with the deployment. The move is part of Washington’s ongoing military buildup in the Middle East and comes two days before the next round of negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. At the same time, Tehran is issuing warnings to Washington and its allies, using anti-American posters displayed on city streets.

Flight-tracking data and videos point to what appears to be the first known deployment of this type of aircraft (F-22)—one of the most advanced fighters in the U.S. arsenal—amid rising tensions with Tehran. Videos and photographs taken by aircraft spotters show roughly a dozen F-22s taking off from their temporary base in Britain. Separate images circulating online show KC-135 Stratotankers at Ben Gurion Airport.

U.S. officials said late Tuesday that the F-22s were en route to Israel and that some had already arrived. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the military movements.

Although the aircraft did not appear on public flight-tracking websites—as is typical for combat aircraft—there were indications they were heading toward the Middle East. Data reviewed by The New York Times confirmed that refueling aircraft, which departed Britain alongside the F-22s, flew over the Mediterranean on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the U.S. Air Force, the F-22—“unmatched by any known or projected fighter aircraft”—is an advanced stealth jet capable of striking both air and ground targets. During U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last June, F-22s escorted long-range bombers that entered Iranian airspace.

Some of the aircraft had recently been moved from the United States to the Royal Air Force base at Lakenheath in England, according to verified videos, photographs, and publicly available flight data. They took off from Lakenheath early Tuesday afternoon, accompanied by refueling aircraft from a nearby base. One F-22 later returned the same day.

The broader U.S. military buildup in the region already includes two aircraft carrier strike groups, as well as more than 60 fighter jets stationed at a base in Jordan.

Tehran warns Washington with posters in the streets

At the same time, Iran’s leadership is sending messages of defiance to Washington, following recent statements by Donald Trump and ahead of tomorrow’s nuclear talks in Geneva. Photos circulating from the streets of Tehran on Wednesday morning show large posters featuring the U.S. flag and warnings directed at Americans (“If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind”), alongside murals of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the country’s former leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.