Israel is preparing to receive additional U.S. aerial refuelling aircraft as Washington strengthens its military presence in the region amid escalating hostilities with Iran, an Israeli military official said on Sunday.
The latest deployment comes after an interim ceasefire brokered a month ago collapsed, triggering renewed U.S. and Iranian strikes and raising fears of a wider regional conflict. Israel has not participated in the latest U.S. attacks.
The Israeli official said Washington had "decided to adjust its force posture in the region" and "to reinforce the existing fleet of aerial refuelling aircraft stationed in Israel with additional aircraft", according to a Reuters report.
ALSO READ | Lebanese President To Meet Trump At White House This Week: What's On Agenda?
Another senior Israeli official said dozens of additional U.S. refuelling aircraft were expected to arrive in Israel.
The United States has stationed dozens of refuelling aircraft in Israel since the conflict began on Feb. 28 with Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran.
Axios reported on Friday, citing three U.S. and Israeli officials, that the Trump administration had informed Israel it planned to deploy dozens of additional refuelling aircraft ahead of a possible expansion of military operations against Iran.
An Israeli official said some of the aircraft would be stationed at Israeli Air Force bases, while others would operate from commercial airports to minimise disruption to civilian air traffic, based on operational and logistical considerations.
ALSO READ | US Dispatching More Refueling Planes To Israel As Iran War Drums Beat Louder: Report
In May, Israel Airports Authority Director General Sharon Kedmi said about 70% of operations at Ben Gurion Airport, the country's main aviation gateway, had been affected because space and resources were being used to support U.S. military aircraft.
A spokesperson for Transport Minister Miri Regev said the United States had since agreed to relocate some aircraft to Israeli Air Force bases, adding that 98 U.S. military aircraft were in Israel as of June 25.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
