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According to scientists at the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado Boulder, Antarctic Sea ice coverage has likely rebounded this year, coming closer to its annual summer average after four years of extreme lows. The area covered by Antarctic Sea ice likely reached its annual minimum level at 2.58 million square kilometres (996,000 square miles) on February 26. Every year Antarctic Sea ice reaches a minimum level during the southern hemisphere`s summer, so this is the point that scientists measure it for annual readings. As per the analysis, the 2026 minimum sea ice extent is closer to average than in the past four years, and 730,000 square kilometres above the record low set in February 2023. But it was still 260,000 square kilometres below the 1981-2010 average.

The massive US military presence in the Middle East, including warships, fighter jets, and refueling aircraft, lays the foundation for a major campaign against Iran.

Here are key US military assets deployed in the region: