Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Jul 18: The administration of US President Donald Trump has informed Israel of its plans to deploy dozens of additional military refuelling aircraft to the country as Washington considers expanding its military campaign against Iran, according to an Axios report citing US and Israeli officials.
The proposed deployment follows a Situation Room meeting earlier this week during which Trump reviewed several military options, the report said.
According to Axios, the options under consideration include strikes on Iranian energy and civilian infrastructure, including power plants, further attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities to deepen the burial of its enriched uranium stockpile, and a possible strike on the underground Pickaxe Mountain site, which is believed to be under development.
The report said Trump has not yet made a final decision on expanding military operations but is weighing a broader offensive aimed at inflicting sufficient damage to pressure Tehran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz and accepting US demands regarding its nuclear programme.
US and Israeli officials told Axios that such an escalation could be authorised within the next few days.
The report comes as US forces have continued military strikes against Iranian targets around the Strait of Hormuz and southern Iran for several consecutive days.
According to a US official quoted by Axios, American forces recently struck at least seven bridges around Bandar Abbas, a major logistics hub of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), with the aim of disrupting the movement of ammunition, supplies and reinforcements.
Iran has responded by intensifying attacks on US military facilities in Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq and Kuwait. The IRGC has also claimed responsibility for an attack on a US military base in Syria, although Axios reported that American troops had withdrawn from the base several months ago.
According to the report, the United States currently has around 30 military refuelling aircraft stationed at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and a similar number at Ramon Airport in southern Israel.
Israeli officials told Axios that Washington intends to deploy several dozen additional refuelling aircraft in the coming days, restoring the fleet to the strength seen at the start of the conflict.
The report said the US military prefers operating the aircraft from Ben Gurion Airport as other regional air bases are considered more vulnerable to potential Iranian attacks.
Axios further reported that the planned deployment has become a politically sensitive issue in Israel because the large number of US aircraft occupies significant space at Ben Gurion Airport, even as commercial air traffic resumes during the peak summer travel season.
According to the report, Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev has urged that the number of US aircraft operating from Ben Gurion be reduced or relocated. However, Israel's Defence Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are said to have opposed the proposal.
Axios added that the Trump administration has formally requested the Israeli government to accommodate the additional aircraft, with the final decision expected to be taken by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.