LONDON — In a move that’s raised eyebrows across global defence circles, the United States has flown more than 30 military aircraft from domestic bases to Europe over the past three days, according to open-source flight tracking data analysed by BBC Verify.
The aircraft include several KC-135 tanker planes large aerial refuellers typically used to support long-range fighter jet and bomber operations. Seven of these planes stopped at US bases in Spain, Scotland, and England before heading further east. As of Tuesday afternoon, most were flying near Sicily. One landed on the Greek island of Crete. The rest had no public destination listed.
While officials have not confirmed any direct link to the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Iran, the timing of the deployments is telling.
“This is not business as usual,” said Justin Bronk, a defence analyst with the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). “The presence of this many tankers so suddenly suggests the US is quietly preparing for possible sustained air operations in the region.”
Tensions in the Middle East have reached a boiling point following Israel’s recent strikes targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. The offensive came just a day after former US President Donald Trump’s self-imposed deadline for Iran to agree to nuclear restrictions expired.
The Iranian government has not publicly responded to the US aircraft movement, but observers say the sudden redeployment could be part of Washington’s attempt to maintain “strategic ambiguity.”
“It’s likely a signal,” said retired Irish defence chief Vice-Admiral Mark Mellett. “Washington might be trying to shape Iran’s choices encouraging restraint without openly threatening action.”
That signal may not stop at the skies.
Separately, the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier is reported to have altered course. Originally stationed in the South China Sea, the ship is now heading west through the Malacca Strait. A planned visit to Vietnam was abruptly cancelled due to what the US embassy in Hanoi described as “an emergent operational requirement.”
The Nimitz is no ordinary vessel. It houses dozens of fighter jets and is backed by a flotilla of missile-equipped destroyers. MarineTraffic, a maritime tracking site, showed the ship heading toward the Middle East on Tuesday.
US defence sources have also confirmed to Reuters that F-16, F-22, and F-35 jets have been shifted to Middle Eastern bases in recent days. The KC-135 tankers now in Europe are capable of fuelling all three types mid-flight, extending their range and time in the air.
Despite the escalating military activity, President Trump has yet to make any formal statement. However, his Vice-President, JD Vance, suggested online that further US action could be imminent.
“The President may decide he needs to act again to ensure Iran’s nuclear threat is ended,” Vance posted on social media.
Iran’s nuclear capabilities are a longstanding concern for Western powers. Its two main enrichment sites Natanz and Fordo are heavily fortified. Natanz has already suffered damage from Israeli strikes. Fordo, located inside a mountain near Qom, is more difficult to reach.
Military sources say any attempt to disable Fordo would require the use of the GBU-57A/B, commonly known as the “bunker buster.” At over 13,000kg, the bomb is designed to tear through concrete and rock to destroy deeply buried targets.
