The F-35 Lightning II calmed Russian Su-35 fighter jets but failed to get Iran to stop aggressive actions in the Persian Gulf

The US sent the F-35 Lightning II to the Middle East a few weeks ago. The fifth-generation fighters are so far proving to be not very effective against Iran.

Here's What We Know

The Iranian military in the Gulf of Hormuz has been attempting to hijack commercial tankers. At the same time, Russian Su-35 fighter jets were attacking US MQ-9 Reaper drones in Syria. It was thought that the arrival of the F-35 Lightning II along with the A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-16 Fighting Falcon and warships in the region could remedy the situation.

The American fifth-generation fighters were able to calm down the Su-35 a bit. Russian aircraft have started to chase MQ-9 Reaper drones less frequently. This was recently stated by a senior official from the US Department of Defence.

Meanwhile, things are not going so smoothly with Iran's pacification. U.S. officials report no signs of change in the situation. Iran continues to attempt to seize commercial vessels.

The F-35 Lightning IIs are not alone in carrying out missions in the region. The U.S. has sent the landing ship USS Bataan to the Middle East with a squadron of Harriers. US Marine Corps aircraft are also conducting missions around the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

Pentagon deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singh said that because of Iran's aggressive behaviour, the US has no plans to withdraw its forces from the region. Though recently the trend has been reversed as America's focus is shifting towards Asia and Europe.

Source: Air & Space Forces