The Israel Airports Authority lifted the restriction on US military refueling aircraft landing at Ben Gurion Airport this morning, reversing Transportation Minister Miri Regev's earlier ban, according to Channel 13. The move followed an American protest and criticism within the security establishment, and comes as the US needs to keep the aircraft on full alert amid the escalation with Iran.
The Israel Airports Authority confirmed this morning that it has lifted the ban on US military refueling aircraft landing at Ben Gurion Airport, reversing Transportation Minister Miri Regev's earlier directive. The confirmation came minutes after The Zioneer reported at 11:07 Jerusalem that the restriction had been removed following an American protest. The move ends—at least for now—a weeks-long dispute over the presence of dozens of US tankers at the civilian airport, which Regev argued was disrupting commercial flight schedules during the summer season.
The thread began on Tuesday afternoon, when Regev made a series of statements at 14:06 Jerusalem: first saying up to 20 US tankers would remain at Ben Gurion, then barring additional landings, and then ordering new arrivals diverted to air force bases. Minutes later, a US tanker landed despite the directive after the pilot reported a fuel shortage, and the Ministry of Transportation said the landing was for refueling only. Those reports originated from N12 and Channel 13. The escalation culminated in yesterday's report that the landing restriction had been lifted after an American protest—a development The Zioneer first reported at 11:07 this morning, before the Airports Authority's official confirmation.
As The Zioneer reported on June 14, Regev called for the removal of US refueling aircraft from Israel, escalating a rift with the Trump administration. On June 16, The Zioneer reported that the US military had agreed to relocate roughly 20% of its tankers from Ben Gurion to air force bases, a move aimed at easing congestion. The operational need to keep the tankers on full alert stems from the ongoing campaign against Iran, as security officials have noted that losing the refueling capacity would constrain US military operations in the region. The Zioneer also reported on June 26 that the US had pledged to remove about 20 tankers by Tuesday, a deadline that appears to have been overtaken by events. What remains open: the precise number of US tankers currently at Ben Gurion, the timeline for any future relocation, and whether the Airports Authority's reversal is a permanent resolution or a temporary measure amid the Iran escalation. The Airports Authority did not comment on the duration of the lifted ban.
8 developments
- DevelopingFuel-truck crisis at Ben Gurion Airport resolved, no flight cancellations expected
- DevelopingMinister Regev warns airlines forced to cancel flights starting Tuesday due to fuel truck shortage
- DevelopingRegev: Ben Gurion operating normally, US refuelers not returning amid evacuation
- StrongReport: CENTCOM-Regev row reaches Netanyahu, i24NEWS says
Source and signal
- Internal intake