U.S. Media: America Aims to Send Dozens of Refueling Aircraft to Israel

According to reports from U.S. media on July 17, the U.S. government has notified Israel that it will be sending additional dozens of refueling aircraft, with the possibility of expanding military operations against Iran in the future.

The Axios news website cited Israeli officials as saying that the U.S. hopes to send dozens of refueling aircraft to Israel in the coming days, restoring the number of refueling aircraft to the level it was at when the U.S. and Israel began military operations against Iran at the end of February. The report stated that the U.S. government has requested that Israel accept the additional refueling aircraft, with Prime Minister Netanyahu to make the final decision on this.

Currently, about 30 refueling aircraft are stationed at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv, with a comparable number at Ramon Airport in southern Israel.

The report indicated that President Trump seems inclined to escalate the conflict to create sufficient destruction to force Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and accept U.S. demands regarding nuclear issues. According to U.S. and Israeli officials, Trump may order an escalation of the situation in the coming days.

Additionally, Israeli Channel 12 reported that the targets being considered for strikes by the U.S. include nuclear facilities in Iran that have previously been attacked.

On the 14th, Trump held a meeting in the White House Situation Room to discuss plans for a large-scale offensive against Iran, stating that "the scale will be broader than the current operations around the Strait of Hormuz." In a media interview before the meeting, he said that U.S. military strikes against Iran would continue until "I say enough." Unless Iran returns to the negotiating table, U.S. forces will strike its bridges and power plants next week. He also did not rule out the possibility of sending ground troops to Iran.

On the 16th, U.S. Central Command stated that U.S. forces used fighter jets, drones, and warships that day to launch precision-guided munitions, hitting dozens of Iranian military targets, including coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, military logistics infrastructure, and maritime combat facilities. This marked the sixth consecutive night of U.S. strikes against Iran.