Jerusalem, Aug 02 (V7N)- Amid escalating tensions surrounding Iran, the United States has dispatched 10 additional air refueling aircraft to Israel's main Ben Gurion Airport, according to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency.

With the arrival of the new aircraft, the total number of U.S. refueling planes stationed at the airport will rise to 40.

According to a report published on Saturday (August 1) by the Israeli daily Calcalist, the 10 additional aircraft will join 30 U.S. refueling planes already deployed at Ben Gurion Airport.

The report, citing the Israeli Airports Authority, said the large military presence has placed significant pressure on airport operations. As a result, civilian flights have experienced average delays of around two hours in recent days. Officials also warned that disruptions could worsen after the arrival of the additional aircraft.

The report noted that July and August are the busiest months for Israel's aviation sector, making the increased military activity particularly challenging for civilian air traffic.

Earlier, on July 15, Israel's Ministry of Transportation announced that it had reached an agreement with the United States to reduce the number of U.S. refueling aircraft stationed at Ben Gurion Airport to 20 by July 21, with the remaining aircraft to be relocated to various Israeli Air Force bases.

According to the report, U.S. refueling aircraft have been deployed at several locations across Israel, including Ben Gurion Airport, since the start of the joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran on February 28.

Israeli media have also reported intensified military preparations as tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to rise. On Saturday, several outlets reported that Israel's defense establishment was increasing its readiness amid expectations of a possible large-scale U.S. strike on Iran.

On Friday (July 31), U.S. President Donald Trump warned that the United States would strike Iran "very hard" if necessary.

However, two days later, Trump announced that he had called off the planned attack. In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Sunday (August 2), he said he had suspended the operation in exchange for what he described as the prospect of a "quick" agreement.

The claims regarding military deployments and preparations have not been independently verified by Reuters or other major international news agencies.

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