US Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker refueling aircraft were tracked departing from Tel Aviv and the United Arab Emirates, heading toward southern Iran, following reports that President Trump has ordered a new attack on Iran. The tanker movements, visible on Flightradar24, align with CBS News and Wall Street Journal reports that the US and Israel are preparing joint strikes on Iranian oil refineries and power plants, potentially as early as this weekend.
The movements, detected around 01:40 Jerusalem time on Saturday, come hours after The Zioneer reported (00:29) that Israel was preparing for a possible role in weekend strikes on Iran, and after CBS News (00:05) reported that the US and Israel were jointly preparing strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure. The tanker activity provides a visible operational indicator of the reported preparations.
According to the batch report, a US Air Force KC-135R Stratotanker was observed refueling aircraft over the Gulf and the UAE after departing from Tel Aviv. The report cites Flightradar24 tracking data and claims that the movements follow a reported order by President Trump to launch a new attack on Iran, as detailed by the Wall Street Journal.
It remains unclear whether the operation has begun or is in its final staging phase. Neither the US military nor the Israeli defense establishment has officially confirmed the reports. The Zioneer has not independently verified the tracking data.
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