Transportation Minister Miri Regev has instructed Ben Gurion Airport to prevent the landing of any US military aircraft, according to a report. The directive expands an earlier order barring additional refueling tankers, amid ongoing tensions with Iran.
At 16:05 Jerusalem time, a single report said Transportation Minister Miri Regev instructed Ben Gurion Airport to bar the landing of all US military aircraft, expanding an earlier directive that had only targeted additional refueling tankers. The development comes less than an hour after a US refueling tanker landed at the airport despite the earlier ban, citing a fuel shortage, as reported at 15:25.
The dispute has escalated throughout Tuesday. At 13:27 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that the Israel Airports Authority barred additional US refueling aircraft from landing due to severe congestion, after four had landed overnight. Minutes later, at 13:36, Regev and Transport Ministry Director-General Moshe Ben-Zaken confirmed that no civilian flights would be harmed and no tickets canceled, as the Defense Ministry was asked to find a solution for the tankers occupying parking stands. At 15:25, a US tanker landed despite the directive, after the pilot reported a fuel shortage. The initial report of the dispute came from a single source (N12), and the subsequent confirmation from the ministry DG added official corroboration.
The broader context of the standoff includes Regev's earlier criticism of President Trump, as The Zioneer reported on June 10, when she said Trump was 'not attacking Iran but taking up parking space at Ben Gurion.' The refueling aircraft are part of US military preparations amid tensions with Iran, which included a prior closure of Ben Gurion Airport, as reported on June 7.
The latest report remains unverified, and details of the instruction's scope—whether it includes emergency landings and how it will be enforced—are not yet available. The Defense Ministry has not responded to the reported directive.
5 developments
- DevelopingBen Gurion Airport bars additional US refueling aircraft after four land overnight, report says
- DevelopingRegev: Ben Gurion operating normally, US refuelers not returning amid evacuation
- StrongUS pledges to remove ~20 refueling aircraft from Ben Gurion by Tuesday, Regev says
- StrongMinister Regev criticizes Trump: 'Doesn't strike Iran but takes our parking at Ben Gurion'
Source and signal
- Internal intake