​​​JERUSALEM

Nine US Air Force refueling aircraft landed overnight at the Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, bringing the total number of American tanker planes in Israel to at least 14, Israeli media reported Friday.

The Times of Israel said the aircraft were lined up on the runway, amid mounting regional tensions and speculation about a potential US strike on Iran.

The newspaper noted that several US refueling and cargo aircraft have been spotted in Israel in recent days, alongside the arrival this week of 11 F-22 stealth fighter jets at the Ovda Air Base in the south.

It said the tanker planes could support US fighter jets operating from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which is reportedly headed toward the eastern Mediterranean, should Washington decide to launch military action.

In recent weeks, the US has reinforced its military presence in the Persian Gulf 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 warned it would respond to any military attack, even if limited, while insisting that sanctions relief must accompany any restrictions on its nuclear program.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref