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 Airports Authority because the parked planes could occupy space at the country’s main airport and lead to cancellations of commercial flights.
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 that remained at Ben Gurion were moved to military bases within 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—which has once again prompted complaints from the Airports Authority.
In a letter released by an Israeli outlet, a senior official from the authority warned that the suspension has immediate and serious operational implications.
There is concern about the potential impact on up to 50,000 commercial flight tickets, which is why the Airports Authority asked the Israeli Ministry of Defense to 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 said the preliminary agreement reached to end the war had been canceled.
This new escalation is reflected in daily U.S. attacks on Iranian territory and the Islamic Republic’s responses with strikes in Persian Gulf countries and in Jordan.
Donald Trump’s remarks
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. forces control the Strait of Hormuz, defended the military offensive against Iran, and confirmed he would maintain the maritime blockade against the Islamic Republic. He also asserted that the campaign destroyed much of Iran’s military capabilities and reiterated that his administration will prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.
During 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 you with complete certainty.” He insisted that preventing Iran from obtaining such weapons is one of his administration’s main objectives.
Asked about the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, a major route 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 good. 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 operations.
In that context, the president confirmed that 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’re putting that in place. We’ll let everyone pass, except if you do business with Iran,” he said during the interview.