Trump Weighs Wider Iran Offensive as US Expands Tanker Fleet in Israel/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ The Trump administration plans to send dozens of additional military refueling aircraft to Israel as President Donald Trump considers expanding operations against Iran. Options reportedly include strikes on Iranian power plants, additional attacks on nuclear facilities and bombing the underground Pickaxe Mountain site. The deployment could disrupt civilian flights at Ben Gurion International Airport and create political problems for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Quick Look
- The United States notified Israel of plans to send dozens more aerial refueling planes.
- Approximately 60 US refueling aircraft are already stationed at two Israeli airports.
- About 30 are at Ben Gurion International Airport and another 30 at Ramon Airport.
- Trump is considering a broader military campaign against Iran.
- Potential targets include power plants, nuclear facilities and the Pickaxe Mountain underground site.
- Trump has not made a final decision on expanding the offensive.
- US and Israeli officials said an escalation could be ordered within days.
- The US struck Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz for a fifth consecutive day Thursday.
- At least seven bridges near Bandar Abbas were bombed, according to a US official.
- Iran expanded attacks against US bases across several Middle Eastern countries.
- US officials prefer operating refueling aircraft from Israel because other regional bases are more exposed.
- Additional aircraft at Ben Gurion could lead to widespread flight cancellations.
- Transportation Minister Miri Regev has sought to reduce the number of US military planes at the airport.
- Netanyahu will decide whether Israel accommodates the additional aircraft.
Deep Look
US Plans Additional Refueling Plane Deployment
The Trump administration has informed Israel that it plans to send dozens of additional military refueling aircraft to the country ahead of a possible expansion of operations against Iran, according to three American and Israeli officials.
The proposed deployment comes as President Donald Trump considers military options that would be broader than the current strikes around the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump reviewed several new operational plans during a Situation Room meeting Tuesday, according to the officials.
He has not made a final decision, but American and Israeli officials said the president could order an escalation within days.
Trump Considers Wider Iran Offensive
The military options presented to Trump reportedly include bombing Iranian infrastructure, including power-generating facilities.
Another option involves launching more attacks against Iran’s nuclear sites in an effort to bury the country’s enriched uranium deeper underground.
The administration is also considering a strike on Pickaxe Mountain, an underground location suspected of being developed into a new Iranian facility.
Trump appears willing to expand the war to inflict enough damage to compel Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept his demands concerning Iran’s nuclear program.
However, no order for the broader offensive had been issued.
US Strikes Near Bandar Abbas
The US military attacked Iranian targets along the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s southern coast Thursday for the fifth consecutive day.
American forces bombed at least seven bridges surrounding Bandar Abbas, according to a US official.
Bandar Abbas is considered an important center for operations by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Strait of Hormuz.
Ammunition, reinforcements and other military supplies pass through the city before being transported to other areas around the strategic waterway, the official said.
The attacks appear intended to disrupt Iran’s ability to supply and coordinate military operations along the strait.
Iran Expands Attacks on US Bases
Iran has also intensified its attacks against American military positions in the Middle East.
Iranian forces targeted US bases in Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq and Kuwait.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also claimed to have attacked an American base in Syria. US forces had withdrawn from that location several months earlier.
The escalation has increased pressure on American military assets across the region and contributed to preparations for a larger aerial campaign.
About 60 US Refueling Aircraft Already in Israel
The United States currently has approximately 30 military refueling aircraft stationed at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv.
A similar number are positioned at Ramon Airport in southern Israel, bringing the total to roughly 60 aircraft.
Israeli officials said Washington wants to deploy several dozen more planes within the coming days.
The additional deployment would restore the US aerial refueling presence in Israel to approximately the level maintained at the beginning of the war.
Refueling aircraft allow fighter jets and bombers to remain airborne longer and conduct operations at greater distances. Expanding the fleet could support a larger or more sustained campaign against Iranian targets.
US Views Israeli Airports as Safer
American military officials reportedly prefer operating the refueling planes from Ben Gurion Airport because other regional air bases are considered more vulnerable to Iranian attacks.
Keeping the aircraft in Israel offers greater protection, particularly while Iran remains deterred from directly attacking Israeli territory.
Officials believe an Iranian strike on Israel would trigger an overwhelming military response.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Tehran against testing that deterrence during a speech Tuesday.
“I can tell you only one thing, and I will say this to the leaders of Iran: Do not count on it being quiet if you attack us,” Netanyahu said. “Do not count on a rerun. Because it will not be a rerun, and that was already powerful enough. This will be a different event, much more powerful.”
Refueling Planes Create Problems at Ben Gurion
The presence of dozens of American military aircraft at Ben Gurion has become politically contentious in Israel.
The planes have occupied significant space at the country’s primary international airport for months, at times leaving the facility nearly full.
Their presence caused fewer complications during the war’s most intense period because Israeli airspace was largely closed and many international airlines had suspended service to Tel Aviv.
Israel’s airspace has since reopened, and passenger demand is increasing as residents travel for summer vacations.
Deploying more US military aircraft to Ben Gurion could limit airport capacity and cause widespread civilian flight cancellations.
Flight Disruptions Could Hurt Netanyahu
The potential travel disruption poses a political risk for Netanyahu’s coalition approximately three months before an election.
Large numbers of flight cancellations during the summer travel season could generate public frustration and increase pressure on the government.
Transportation Minister Miri Regev, a close Netanyahu ally, has pushed to remove the American refueling aircraft from Ben Gurion or limit the number stationed there.
Israel’s Defense Ministry and military have opposed that effort, reflecting a dispute between civilian transportation priorities and wartime security requirements.
Netanyahu Faces Final Decision
The Trump administration has asked the Israeli government to accommodate the additional refueling planes.
Netanyahu is expected to make the final decision.
His choice will require balancing the operational needs of the US military and Israel’s security partnership with Washington against the potential impact on civilian aviation and his coalition’s political standing.
The requested deployment also provides a visible indication that the United States is preparing for the possibility of a wider and more sustained campaign against Iran.
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