Amid the latest escalation between Iran and the United States, the U.S. has decided to suspend the withdrawal of its military tanker aircraft from Tel Aviv’s airport. The move prompted a protest from the Israeli Airport Authority over the potential cancellation of commercial flights due to the occupation of space at the country’s main airport.
A month ago, Ben Gurion Airport, located on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, had already warned that commercial flights could be canceled if 15 U.S. aircraft stationed there since the start of the war with Iran, which began on February 28, were not removed.
After the announcement of an agreement between Iran and the United States to end the conflict, several of the 72 aircraft remaining at Ben Gurion were moved to military bases inside Israel.
Currently, according to Israeli Channel 12 and confirmed by the Ministry of Transport, the United States has frozen the withdrawal of the remaining aircraft —without specifying how many—, once again prompting complaints from the Israeli Airport Authority.
In a letter published by an Israeli outlet, a senior official of the authority warned that the suspension has “immediate and serious” operational significance.
There is concern about the potential impact on up to 50,000 commercial flight tickets, which is why the Airport Authority requested that the Israeli Ministry of Defense seek a solution that does not harm citizens.
The U.S. decision to keep the aircraft in place comes as tensions with Iran intensify, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the cancellation of the preliminary agreement reached to end the war.
This new escalation is reflected in daily U.S. strikes on Iranian territory and the Islamic Republic’s retaliatory bombardments in Gulf countries and Jordan.
Donald Trump’s remarks
U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. forces control the Strait of Hormuz, defended the military offensive against Iran, and confirmed he will maintain a maritime blockade against the Islamic Republic. He also claimed the military campaign destroyed much of Iran’s military capabilities and reiterated that his administration will prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.
In an interview with Newsmax on Monday night, Trump justified the U.S. strikes, saying: “We are attacking Iran right now, and they deserve it because they will not have a nuclear weapon, that we can assure with total certainty.” He insisted that preventing Iran from acquiring such a weapon is one of his administration’s primary objectives.
Asked about the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the main routes for global oil and gas transport, the president said U.S. forces maintain control of the area. “We control it. They can cause problems. They can do things that are not right. But we control it,” he said.
Trump also credited the military campaign with significant damage to Iran’s defensive infrastructure. “We have destroyed most of their radar, much of their ammunition, many of their weapon launchers. We have destroyed drones. We have destroyed missiles,” he said, describing the scope of the operations.
In that context, the president confirmed his administration will reimpose a maritime blockade on Iran. “The blockade was a tremendous success. It was there for two months and no one could pass. We are putting that in place. We will allow everyone through, except if you do business with Iran,” he said during the interview.