File image.
The United States plans to deploy “dozens” of additional aerial refueling aircraft as President Donald Trump considers expanding military operations against Iran, Axios reported on July 17.
Citing three American and Israeli officials, the U.S. news website said Trump was presented with several new military options during a Situation Room meeting on July 14 but had not made a final decision.
The proposals reportedly include strikes on Iranian power plants and other infrastructure, as well as additional attacks on suspected nuclear facilities, including an operation targeting the underground Pickaxe Mountain site.
The officials who spoke to Axios said Trump could order an escalation within days, aiming to pressure the Islamic Republic to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept Washington’s nuclear demands.
The U.S. currently has about 30 refueling aircraft stationed at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and a similar number at Ramon Airport in southern Israel, according to the report. Israeli officials said the U.S. wants to deploy several dozen more aircraft, restoring the fleet to roughly the level maintained at the start of the conflict.
Ben Gurion Airport is preferred by the U.S. military because other regional bases are considered more exposed to attacks by Iran, which has repeatedly struck American facilities across the Gulf region over the past several months.
A separate report by Lebanon’s Nidaa Al Watan revealed that Iran had told its regional allies, including Hezbollah, to prepare for the possibility of a broader conflict amid military escalation with the U.S.
According to the report, which is based on information obtained from meetings held in Tehran on the sidelines of the recent funeral of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, leaders of the Iran-backed regional “Axis of Resistance” told allies that the period of waiting is nearing an end and that preparations for military scenarios have become a priority.
Hezbollah in particular was reportedly instructed to be fully prepared for any escalation, with Iranian officials warning that any future conflict could be broader and more severe than previous fighting.
It’s worth noting that Reuters reported just a day earlier that Iran had asked the Houthis in Yemen to stand ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the U.S. strikes Iranian power infrastructure.
All recent reports indicate that the ongoing limited confrontation between the U.S. and Iran, which started on April 7, is about to spark a regional war. Israel is guaranteed to join in if this happens. Several Gulf states could also opt to attack the Islamic Republic and its allies this time.
Still, the chances of de-escalation remain alive. Neither side has yet officially withdrawn from the memorandum of understanding signed last month to end the war.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
trump swollwing so much nutenyahu jizz he has lost his mind and endangered every american citizen, hooray for pedo epstein asset trump…hehehe
the kuwait desalination plants are f….d! the kuwaiti quisling whores are crawling around the desert with their tongues hanging out! heheheheh
these planes are an easy target for iran ballistic missile with cluster ammo
esos sucios imperialistas no aprenden, irán por favor sácalos a patadas