The United States is moving dozens of aerial refueling tankers to Israeli Air Force bases following a dispute with Israel over the use of Ben Gurion Airport, which had hosted 33 US tankers. The Trump administration notified Israel of the deployment as Washington prepares to intensify strikes on Iran in the coming week, a move announced by Donald Trump. F-16 fighters are also being relocated from Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany.
The US military intends to station up to 100 refueling aircraft across Israeli military bases and Ramon Airport. An Israeli military official confirmed on July 19 that the United States had reinforced its tanker fleet in Israel, with 14 additional tankers arriving over the weekend.
The buildup follows the collapse of a US-Iran ceasefire on July 8, originally brokered by Qatar and Pakistan after the US launched its war on Iran on February 28. Israel has not participated in the latest wave of strikes since hostilities resumed.