Newspaper: US deploys tankers to Qatar as Israel signals possible strike on Iran PHOTO

Flight data from open sources indicate that the US Air Force has deployed KC-135 and KC-46 tanker aircraft, alongside fighter jets, across the Atlantic to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

According to Israeli newspaper Maariv, this marks the largest concentration of transatlantic tankers observed in recent months. Additional US aircraft have also been deployed to the United Kingdom.

The deployment has sparked speculation about a potential new military operation, given that previous intensive US tanker movements were followed by strikes on Iranian-linked targets.

In an interview with Maariv, senior Israeli military officials stated that Israel is prepared to conduct a strike on Iran if necessary, underscoring heightened regional tensions.

The background to these developments includes significant military action earlier this year. On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a surprise offensive against Iranian nuclear and military targets, named "Operation Rising Lion," citing intelligence that Iran was approaching nuclear weapons capability. This was followed by US strikes on June 21–22, 2025, codenamed "Operation Midnight Hammer," which targeted three key Iranian nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

During the US operation, 14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, known as "bunker buster" bombs, were used to strike the deeply buried Fordow facility, aiming to disrupt Iran’s enrichment capacity. President Trump declared that the strikes "obliterated" Iran's nuclear program, though early US intelligence assessments suggested the damage was more limited, setting back Iran's program by only a few months to 1–2 years.

Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel, injuring dozens and escalating regional tensions. A fragile ceasefire, brokered by the Trump administration on June 24, 2025, temporarily halted direct hostilities. Both sides claimed victory: Israel asserted it had crippled Iran’s nuclear ambitions, while Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi maintained that its nuclear program continued unabated.

By Tamilla Hasanova