U.S. Sends More Refueling Planes to Israel Ahead of Possible Iran Escalation

According to Axios, the Trump administration has told Israel it is sending dozens more refueling planes to the country as President Donald Trump weighs a broader military offensive against Iran. U.S. and Israeli officials said Trump is considering options that include strikes on Iranian infrastructure, additional attacks on nuclear facilities and a possible bombing of the Pickaxe Mountain site, while the U.S. military carried out strikes on Iranian targets for a fifth straight day on Thursday and hit at least seven bridges near Bandar Abbas. Israeli officials said about 30 U.S. refueling planes are already stationed at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and Ramon Airport in southern Israel, and Washington wants to send several dozen more in coming days. The planes have become a political issue in Israel because added flights could disrupt operations at Ben Gurion, where Transport Minister Miri Regev has pushed to move them or limit their number.