The United States has begun a sweeping deployment of dozens of additional fighter jets across the Middle East, along with more refueling aircraft directly into Israel, amid mounting fears of a broader military escalation with Iran, according to a Kan News Shabbat broadcast. The move comes as American strikes on Iranian territory continued overnight and Iran struck civilian infrastructure in neighboring Kuwait.
As part of the accelerated troop buildup, a squadron of advanced F-16 fighter jets has already landed at a base in Jordan, with additional fighter aircraft expected to arrive at bases across the sensitive region in the coming days. The current American move includes a significant reinforcement of F-35 and F-16 squadrons, with full deployment across the region expected to be completed within days, as soon as the necessary logistical preparations at the destination bases are finalized.
Alongside the fighter jet deployment to neighboring countries, the administration in Washington has already briefed Israel's leadership on its intention to alter the regional posture of its forces, a step that includes sending additional refueling aircraft directly into Israeli territory, following a decision by President Donald Trump. This amounts to an airborne convoy of dozens of aircraft whose primary purpose is to provide comprehensive logistical and operational support in the event of strikes on Iran. Some of these refueling planes have already landed over the past day at an Israeli Air Force base in the country's south after arriving from the Qatar area, with additional aircraft expected to land in the coming days at further military bases in the southern region. The arrival of the refueling planes is especially critical for the fighter jets, since they allow the aircraft to remain airborne over long ranges and vast distances, something necessary for the kind of distant operational activity required against the Islamic Republic.
The close and sensitive security coordination between Jerusalem and Washington is also generating complex civilian challenges inside Israel. Under pressure from Transportation Minister Miri Regev, professional officials are now working to minimize as much as possible the arrival of American refueling planes at Ben Gurion International Airport, out of serious concern that it would lead to severe disruptions and the cancellation of large numbers of civilian flights. Despite those efforts to minimize the impact on civilian routine, Israeli security officials have made unambiguously clear that should a direct and broad escalation with Iran materialize, the country's operational and security needs will completely override any civilian or economic consideration.
The tension over runway space at Ben Gurion has already spilled into public view this week. A fleet of roughly 75 American refueling and cargo planes had been parked at the airport for months as part of the US military buildup in the region, crowding out civilian carriers and prompting the Israel Airports Authority to warn that as many as 50,000 flight tickets, and by some estimates far more, could be at risk of cancellation during the peak summer travel season. Following a cabinet decision, the Transportation Ministry announced that the number of US refueling aircraft remaining at Ben Gurion would be capped at 20 by July 21, with the rest relocated to Israeli Air Force bases. Regev said the arrangement would let military operations continue while protecting civilian flight schedules, adding that Israel had promised its citizens it would not cancel a single ticket because of the American planes.
The deployment comes against the backdrop of a rapidly deteriorating security picture. The US Embassy in Jerusalem issued a security alert Friday reiterating that Americans should reconsider travel to Israel and the West Bank, and should avoid Gaza, northern Israel, and the Egyptian border except for the Taba crossing, citing an unpredictable security situation in which rocket fire, armed drone intrusions, and missiles can occur without warning. The advisory came the same week that CENTCOM confirmed two American service members were killed and a third went missing in action defending against Iranian missile and drone attacks on Jordan, the first US military deaths of the renewed conflict, and as Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei accused Washington of repeatedly violating the ceasefire framework with Tehran
