Israeli media: US relocating aircraft from regional bases following Iranian attacks

The United States has begun relocating fighter aircraft and aerial refueling planes from military bases across the region to Israel, Israeli media outlets say, citing concerns over the ability of American forces to protect those installations amid intensified Iranian attacks.

The Hebrew-language Channel 14 reported on Tuesday that Washington has initiated the evacuation of aircraft from regional bases and is transferring fighter jets and tanker aircraft to occupied Palestinian lands in response to large-scale Iranian strikes.

Noam Amir, a military and security analyst for Channel 14, said the US currently lacks the capability to fully defend its regional bases against Iranian attacks.

"For this reason, the United States is evacuating these bases and relocating its fleet of aerial refueling aircraft and fighter squadrons to Israel," he said, according to the broadcaster.

Separately, Israeli Army Radio quoted the regime’s transportation minister as saying he had informed the military that no additional US aerial refueling aircraft would be accepted at Ben Gurion Airport.

The remarks follow an earlier report by Israel's Channel 12, which said senior officials from the ministry of transportation and Ben Gurion Airport convened an emergency meeting on July 20 to discuss a new US request to deploy dozens of additional tanker aircraft to the airport.

Iran’s devastating strike on US base in Jordan signals both capability and will to impose costs for aggression

Iran

According to the report, US officials are seeking to station several dozen military refueling aircraft in Israel over the coming days, raising concerns about airport capacity and the potential impact on civilian air traffic.

Channel 12 said the issue comes at a time when Israel's aviation sector continues to face significant disruption.

The number of domestic and international airlines operating flights to Israel has declined sharply since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, reducing capacity at the entity's main international gateway, Channel 12 said.

The broadcaster also reported that Israeli authorities had temporarily halted additional US tanker arrivals at Ben Gurion Airport because of congestion before reversing the decision following discussions with Washington. Under the revised arrangement, some of the aircraft are expected to be stationed at Israeli military bases instead.

The latest development comes as Iranian armed forces have launched heavy reprisal attacks against strategic American targets across the region following earlier US strikes on several locations in southern Iran.

Several US troops killed in strike on American military compound in Jordan: IRGC

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says several members of the US military were killed after Iranian forces targeted a compound housing American troops in the al-Rukban area of Jordan.

Earlier in the day, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said several US military forces have been killed after Iranian forces targeted a compound housing American troops in the al-Rukban area of Jordan.

The United States has perpetrated numerous violations against Iranian territory since April 7, when US President Donald Trump announced a unilateral ceasefire in the latest bout of wholesale American-Israeli aggression targeting the Islamic Republic.

The violations continued even after Washington and Tehran signed a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding last month, whose first clause clearly mandates cessation of aggression on all fronts.

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