The US military has moved a large number of refueling aircraft to Europe to provide options to President Donald Trump after tensions erupted into open conflict between Iran and Israel, two US officials told Reuters on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The officials also said the US aircraft carrier Nimitz was heading to the Middle East, in what one of them said was a pre-planned deployment. The Nimitz can hold 5,000 personnel and more than 60 aircraft, including fighter jets.
Taken together, the deployments suggest the United States is greatly strengthening its air power for potentially sustained operations as Iran and Israel trade blows in unprecedented open warfare.
Trump himself said Monday that Iran wants to talk about de-escalating hostilities with Israel, and should do so immediately, “before it’s too late.”
“They’d like to talk. But they should have done that before,” he said. “They have to make a deal, and it’s painful for both parties, but I’d say Iran is not winning this war, and they should talk, and they should talk immediately, before it’s too late.”
Israel launched a sustained military campaign against targets on Friday, which officials said was intended to preempt an imminent, existential threat to Israel stemming from the Islamic Republic’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Iran responded with deadly ballistic missile barrages against Israel, targeting both military sites and civilian population centers.
AirNav systems, a flight tracking website, said more than 31 US Air Force refueling aircraft — primarily KC-135s and KC-46s — left the United States on Sunday, heading east.
The US officials declined to comment on the number of aircraft. The Pentagon referred Reuters to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“The sudden eastward deployment of over two dozen US Air Force tankers is not business as usual. It’s a clear signal of strategic readiness,” said Eric Schouten at Dyami Security Intelligence.
“Whether it’s about supporting Israel, preparing for long-range operations, logistics is key, this move shows the US is positioning itself for rapid escalation if tensions with Iran spill over.”
AirNav systems said the US military flights had landed in Europe, including at Ramstein air base in Germany and airports in the United Kingdom, Estonia, and Greece.
The United States has been cautious so far, helping Israel knock down incoming missiles. Trump vetoed an Israeli plan in recent days to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, two US officials told Reuters on Sunday.
One of them said the United States did not support going after Iran’s political leadership, as long as Americans were not being targeted.
Trump has lauded Israel’s offensive and warned Tehran not to widen its retaliation to include US targets.
A third US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, declined to comment on the tanker movement but stressed that US military activities in the region were defensive in nature.
Another source familiar with the issue said the US has told regional countries that it is making defensive preparations and would switch to offensive operations if Iran strikes any US facilities.
The United States already has a sizeable force in the Middle East, with nearly 40,000 troops in the region, including air defense systems, fighter aircraft and warships that can help bring down missiles.
Last month, the Pentagon replaced B-2 bombers with another type of bomber at a base in the Indo-Pacific that is seen as an ideal location to operate in the Middle East. The B-52 bombers can carry large bunker-busting munitions, which experts say can be used against Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Iran, whose leaders are sworn to destroy Israel, has publicly denied seeking nuclear weapons. However, the Islamic Republic has amassed uranium enriched to 60% — far above what is necessary for civilian use, and a short step away from weapons-grade.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.