Iran

6 additional US refueling aircraft heading to Israel amid tensions with Iran: Media

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

U.S. military refueling aircraft are spotted at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv amid ongoing discussions over a possible U.S. strike on Iran in Tel Aviv, Israel on February 25, 2026. [Gideon Markowicz – Anadolu Agency]

Six additional US aerial refueling aircraft are expected to head to Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv as part of a broad US military buildup in the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran, the Times of Israel reported Thursday, Anadolu reports.

Citing unnamed analysts tracking open-source flight data, the newspaper said: “Five American KC-46 refueling planes will depart from Portsmouth International Airport in New Hampshire, and a sixth tanker will depart from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. All are scheduled to land at Ben Gurion Airport.”

The report added that several US refueling and cargo aircraft were spotted at the same airport earlier this week, along with the arrival of 11 F-22 stealth fighter jets at Ovda Air Base in southern Israel, accompanied by logistical support aircraft and aircrews.

In recent weeks, dozens of US fighter jets—including F-35s, F-22s, F-15s, and F-16s—have been spotted heading to the Middle East, alongside dozens of refueling planes and hundreds of military cargo flights, according to the report.

The developments come as indirect negotiations between the US and Iran continue, amid Israeli media assessments that Washington could carry out a strike against Tehran, though no official military decision has been announced by US authorities.

In recent weeks, the US has reinforced its military presence in the region and signaled the possibility of military action to pressure Iran to abandon its nuclear and missile programs and curb “its regional allies.”

Tehran has accused Washington and Israel of fabricating pretexts for intervention and regime change and has warned it would respond to any military attack, even if limited, while insisting that sanctions relief must accompany any restrictions on its nuclear program.

The ‘brinkmanship’ strategy with Iran: A calculated approach

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. 

Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue Reading6 additional US refueling aircraft heading to Israel amid tensions with Iran: Media

‘I Guess I Can Say I Am’: Trump Confirms He’s Considering Unprovoked Attack on Iran

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Original article by Brad Reed republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

President Donald Trump delivers remarks during a working breakfast with governors in the State Dining Room at the White House on February 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

One analyst predicted Iran would close the Strait of Hormuz and attack oil installations “in the hope of driving oil prices to record levels” should the US strike.

US President Donald Trump on Friday confirmed that he’s considering launching an unprovoked military strike against Iran.

According to the New York Times, Trump was asked by reporters on Friday if he was considering attacking Iran, and he replied, “I guess I can say I am considering that.”

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The US has for weeks been sending fleets of warships, including the world’s largest aircraft carrier, to the Middle East in apparent preparation for a massive military operation against Iran.

According to a Friday report from Al Jazeera, the buildup is the largest by the US Air Force in the region since the 2003 Iraq War, and it includes deployments of E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft, F-35 stealth strike fighters and F-22 air superiority jets, and F-15 and F-16 fighter jets.

Trump has not given any justification for launching such an attack, nor has he asked the US Congress to approve it, even though the Constitution gives the legislative branch the power to declare war.

Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) have been pushing for a vote in the US House of Representatives on a war powers resolution that would require Congress to debate and approve any act of war with Iran.

It is also not clear what goals the president would hope to achieve with the attack. A Thursday CNN report indicated that Trump is now weighing several options ranging from “more targeted strikes to sustained operations that could potentially last for weeks,” including “plans to take out Tehran’s leaders.”

Trita Parsi, co-founder and executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, wrote in a Friday analysis of Trump’s reported attack plans that there is little chance that the president will be able to achieve a quick victory over Iran simply because the offers he has made to its government are nonstarters.

“Since the US strategy… is to escalate until Tehran caves, and since capitulation is a non-option for Iran, the Iranians are incentivized to strike back right away at the US,” explained Parsi. “The only exit Tehran sees is to fight back, inflict as much pain as possible on the US, and hope that this causes Trump to back off or accept a more equitable deal.”

Parsi acknowledged that there is no way Iran can defeat the US militarily, but could “get close to destroying Trump’s presidency before it loses the war” through a number of maneuvers intended to spike the price of oil, including “closing the Strait of Hormuz” and attacking “oil installations in the region in the hope of driving oil prices to record levels and by that inflation in the US.”

“This is an extremely risky option for Iran,” Parsi conceded, “but one that Tehran sees as less risky than the capitulation ‘deal’ Trump is seeking to force on Iran.”

Original article by Brad Reed republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes' concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country's economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn't bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn’t bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.

Continue Reading‘I Guess I Can Say I Am’: Trump Confirms He’s Considering Unprovoked Attack on Iran

Morning Star Editorial: Time for clarity – no support for a US attack on Iran

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/time-clarity-no-support-us-attack-iran

 President Donald Trump listens during a Board of Peace meeting at the U.S. Institute of Peace, February 19, 2026, in Washington

PRESIDENT Donald Trump has now assembled the largest US military force in the Middle East since the disastrous and criminal Iraq invasion in 2003.

It is not there for show. The chatter from Washington is that a US attack on Iran is now a “90 per cent” likelihood.

It is still possible that the deployment is simply to pressure the Iranian regime into complying with US demands regarding its nuclear power programme and its wider policy across the region.

But Trump has already attacked Iran once during his second term, and he is under pressure from the Israeli government to move towards overthrowing the regime in Tehran, something that would require military action on a far larger scale than previously, and co-ordination with pro-US political forces like the son of the deposed Shah.

So the danger of war seems imminent. The anti-war and labour movements here in Britain need to be clear-sighted. 

Any military action by Trump, or Israel, or both would be a gross violation of international legality and a criminal imperialist adventure which would risk an escalating conflict across the Middle East. The peoples of the region, including the Iranian people, would be the losers.

…

If Trump and Starmer want a peaceful and stable Middle East, Israel is the rogue power which needs to be curbed. Instead it is armed, supported and diplomatically protected by the imperialist powers.

These are not nuances, but the heart of the crisis in the Middle East. The anti-war and solidarity movements here must not be distracted from their main responsibility — challenging the imperialist interventions and alliances of the Starmer government — by the temptation to sit in moral judgement on those who are its targets.

The future of Iran is for the Iranian people alone to determine. US or Israeli military intervention must be firmly opposed, and the British government pressed to dissociate from any such plan.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/time-clarity-no-support-us-attack-iran

Experiencing issues with this image not appearing. I suspect because it's so critical of Zionist Keir Starmer's support of and complicity in Israel's genocides.
Genocide denier and Current UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is quoted that he supports Zionism without qualification. He also confirms that UK air force support has been essential in Israel’s mass-murdering genocide. Includes URLs https://www.declassifieduk.org/keir-starmers-100-spy-flights-over-gaza-in-support-of-israel/ and https://youtu.be/O74hZCKKdpA
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Continue ReadingMorning Star Editorial: Time for clarity – no support for a US attack on Iran

Iran temporarily closes the Strait of Hormuz

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/iran-temporarily-closes-strait-hormuz

 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (right) and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi (left) hold a meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, February 16, 2026. Photo: Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP

IRAN announced the temporary closure of the Strait of Hormuz today for live fire military drills as its negotiators held another round of indirect talks with the United States in Geneva over its nuclear programme.

It was the first time that Tehran has announced the closure of the key international waterway, through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil passes, since the US began threatening Iran and rushing military assets to the region. 

Iran said its Revolutionary Guard had started a drill early on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman — all crucial international shipping routes. 

It was the second time in recent weeks that Iran has held a live fire exercise in the Strait of Hormuz.

As the talks began, Iranian state media announced that the country’s military had fired missiles toward the strait and would close it for several hours for “safety and maritime concerns.”

The Tasnim news agency, which is close to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said missiles launched inside Iran and along its coast had struck their targets in the strait.

…

Article continues at https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/iran-temporarily-closes-strait-hormuz

Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn't bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn’t bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Elon Musk urges you to be a Fascist like him, says that you can ignore facts and reality then.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes' concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country's economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Continue ReadingIran temporarily closes the Strait of Hormuz