Lieutenant General Gregory Guillot, commander of the United States Air Force in the Middle East, stated that American pilots would remain in the region, although competition with China and Russia was a major challenge for Washington.

Speaking to reporters before the Dubai Air Show, today, Guillot acknowledged that the US presence "could be modified" after the US pulled out of Afghanistan last August.

Guillot said: "But I see no scenario in which the United States does not play an important role."

Gilot's comments come as tensions between Iran and the United States remain high after years of confrontation following the decision of former U.S. President Donald Trump to unilaterally withdraw from Tehran's nuclear agreement with world powers. At the same time, Israel is suspected of having launched a series of attacks targeting Iran's nuclear programme.

As talks on the agreement continued to falter, Iran elected a hard - line president, seized ships at sea and carried out suspected marching aircraft attacks.

Gilot refused several times to directly attribute to Iran recent marching aircraft attacks in the region, but acknowledged the increasing number of such attacks in the region.