U.S. sends dozens of aerial refueling tankers to Israel

The United States is preparing to deploy dozens of additional aerial refueling tankers to Israel as the Trump administration weighs a significant escalation of military operations against Iran. The move, reported on Friday, July 17, 2026, comes amid a week of intensified U.S. strikes on Iranian targets and follows a high-level meeting earlier this week where President Donald Trump was presented with several new military options.

According to officials, the proposed options include expanded strikes on Iranian infrastructure such as power plants and bridges, further attacks on the country's nuclear facilities, and a potential operation targeting an underground site known as Pickaxe Mountain. The administration's stated goal is to pressure Iran to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz to shipping and return to negotiations over its nuclear program. In a televised address on Thursday, July 16, Trump stated that military actions were yielding results and promised more would be seen shortly.

The U.S. military has already conducted a series of strikes over recent days, targeting at least seven bridges around the key Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, a communications tower, and other...