US to send more refueling aircraft as Trump weighs wider Iran war

The US plans to deploy "dozens" of additional aerial refueling aircraft as President Donald Trump considers expanding military operations against Iran, Axios reported Friday.

Citing three US and Israeli officials, the US news outlet said Trump was presented with several new military options during a Situation Room meeting Tuesday but had not made a final decision.

The proposals reportedly include strikes on Iranian power plants and other infrastructure, and additional attacks on suspected nuclear facilities, including an operation targeting the underground Pickaxe Mountain site.

US and Israeli officials said Trump could order an escalation within days, aiming to pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept Washington's nuclear demands.

The US currently has about 30 refueling aircraft stationed at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and a similar number at Ramon Airport in southern Israel, according to the report.

Israeli officials said Washington wants to deploy several dozen more aircraft, restoring the fleet to roughly the level maintained at the beginning of the conflict.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) was not immediately available for comment.

The US military reportedly prefers Ben Gurion Airport because other regional bases are considered more exposed to attacks by Iran, which has repeatedly struck US facilities across the Gulf region over the past several months.

Regional tensions have escalated since February, when the US and Israel launched a joint offensive against Iran and Tehran responded with missile and drone strikes targeting Gulf countries hosting US military assets.

Iran and the United States signed a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding last month aimed at ending the conflict and reaching a lasting peace agreement, but tensions have escalated again in recent days over the Strait of Hormuz.