The US presidential administration wants to send tanker planes to Israel in connection with the possible expansion of the war against Iran.
Axios reports this, citing American and Iranian officials.
Sources say President Donald Trump may announce an expansion of military action soon. Israel currently has about 30 American tanker aircraft stationed at Ben Gurion Airport.
According to sources, Washington plans to send several dozen more such aircraft to Ben Gurion and Ramon airports in southern Israel. However, the US prefers the former because other air bases in the region are more vulnerable to attacks from Iran.
Axios writes that this could be a problem because many Israeli citizens are currently on summer vacation, and the presence of US military aircraft could lead to flight cancellations.
Earlier, according to CNN sources, President Donald Trump received options for expanding the military operation in Iran, including the capture of Kharg Island.
The US and Iran traded blows again today. The US forces struck Iranian weapons depots, while Tehran struck a US base. Iran also reported strikes on a pier where US ships refuel in a port in Kuwait.
What preceded
On June 18, the US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding committing to a 60-day ceasefire. But on July 8, the sides exchanged blows again, with Iran striking ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the US striking targets on Iranian territory.
Then US President Donald Trump declared that the memorandum of understanding was no longer in effect. Already on July 10, Trump reported that Iran had asked to continue peace talks. According to him, the US agreed, but emphasized that the truce was over.
A US official told ABC News that despite the exchange of strikes, the US and Iran are continuing technical talks on Iranʼs nuclear program, and the 60-day ceasefire and memorandum of understanding remain in effect.
At the same time, a CNN source says that the US is deliberately alternating strikes with pauses to continue negotiations. Washington has a list of potential targets and is ready to attack them if necessary, but for now it prefers diplomacy.
On July 12, the United States again attacked Iran — for the third time in a week — in response to an attack by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran then declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again. The United States soon resumed its naval blockade of Iran.
Trump initially wanted to also introduce a fee for ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, but after pressure from Gulf countries, he abandoned the idea.
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