Senior American officials tell Fox News that President Trump is expected to decide within days on whether to significantly expand the military campaign against Iran. The US military is preparing attack options and has begun flowing additional fighter jets to the region, while Israel is expected to participate if Trump approves the expansion, according to the officials.
At 08:10 Jerusalem, Fox News reported, citing a senior US official, that President Trump will decide within days on expanding the war with Iran. The US military is preparing attack options, and additional fighter jets are being deployed to the region, alongside refueling aircraft already transferred to Israel. Israel is expected to participate if Trump approves a significant expansion. The report follows The Zioneer's 08:03 bulletin, which noted the same timeline and Israel's expected role. The new element is the movement of fighter jets, indicating the US is actively positioning assets for a possible wider campaign.
The thread began at Tue 02:38 Jerusalem, when a senior American official told Israel Hayom that Israel would join the fighting if Trump expands the campaign. Minutes later, at 02:38, Fox News reported, citing senior US officials, that refueling aircraft had been moved from Ben Gurion Airport to military bases as part of preparations. A third version at the same time described the potential expansion as 'much more intense and extensive,' adding that the refueling planes were partly to protect against Gulf state vulnerabilities and to facilitate evacuation of US forces from Ben Gurion. The Zioneer's 08:03 bulletin consolidated these reports. The corroboration thus evolved from a single source (Israel Hayom) to multiple American officials cited by Fox News, with increasing detail on the scope and rationale.
As The Zioneer reported on Sat Jul 18, Axios cited three American and Israeli sources saying dozens of additional refueling aircraft would be sent to Israel as Trump weighs wider strikes, including options to attack power plants, nuclear sites, and the underground 'Pickaxe Mountain' facility. On Wed Jul 15, a senior official told journalist Barak Ravid that Trump discussed expanding strikes to Tehran and weighed a strategic bomber attack. Additionally, on Sat Jul 18, Trump ordered additional refueling aircraft to be stationed at Israeli air bases, according to a report. These reports indicate weeks of US preparation and coordination with Israel.
What remains open: The decision on expansion is still pending, with Trump expected to decide in days. The specific targets and scope of a wider campaign have not been confirmed. Israel's role remains conditional on Trump's approval. The movement of fighter jets is a new signal but does not guarantee a decision.
5 developments
- StrongTrump leans toward expanding operations against Iran, ynet reports
- DevelopingTrump Discusses Expanding Iran Strikes to Tehran, Weighs Strategic Bomber Attack, US Official Says
- DevelopingTrump Examining How to Intensify Strikes on Iran, Source Tells i24NEWS
- StrongTrump says there will be more and bigger bombings in Iran tonight
Source and signal
- Internal intake