ATTRIBUTED CLAIMS
A photo posted Sunday by the news account Faytuks Network shows a long line of U.S. Air Force aerial refueling tankers, mostly KC-135 Stratotankers, parked at Ramon Airport near Eilat in southern Israel. When it was taken has not been independently verified.
Israel's public broadcaster Kan reported Thursday that most of the American tankers at Ben Gurion Airport have moved to Ramon, where about 25 fly missions across the Middle East around the clock. The Israel Airports Authority is halting night operations at Ramon from Nov. 1 because of staff shortages and told the U.S. side to find other options, Kan reported.
Channel 14 reported Oct. 30 that an "unprecedented" U.S. airlift brought at least 10 heavy transport aircraft and roughly 80 refueling tankers to Israel within 48 hours. No U.S. or Israeli official has confirmed that number. Kan separately reported 10 U.S. transport planes landing at the Ovda and Nevatim air bases, some from Fort Bliss, Texas, and quoted an Israeli source: "the Americans and Israel are preparing for any decision that President Trump makes."
Long-range strikes run on tankers, which is why the buildup is being read as a possible sign the Iran war could pick back up. The tanker presence itself is not new: U.S. tankers have been based at Ben Gurion and Ramon for months. Axios reported Sunday that Netanyahu is pressing Trump to strike Iran right after Tuesday's midterms, while Trump for now wants to let negotiations play out. Trump said Saturday the U.S. still has to "take care" of one or two Iranian nuclear sites: "We can do that in 10 minutes. We have that planned."
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