THE US HELPED ISRAELI FIGHTER JETS TO REACH IRAN AND RETURN

US refueled Israeli jets throughout Iran war 

Some of the American refueling aircraft sent to the region during Operation Rising Lion supported the Israeli Air Force's refueling efforts. Hundreds of aerial refuelings were carried out for fighter jets flying to Iran.

 

by Ariel Kahana  

 

Israel Hayom

Jun 26, 2025

 

A US KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft refuels Israeli F-16i fighter jets

 

 

Following the joint Israeli-US military campaign dubbed Operation Rising Lion and the ceasefire that took effect two days ago, it can now be revealed that some of the US refueling planes dispatched to the region during the operation aided the Israeli Air Force's refueling operations. The assistance was aimed at easing the burden on Israel's limited and aging tanker fleet. Throughout the campaign, hundreds of aerial refuelings were conducted for Israeli fighter jets flying to Iran.

 

 

 

A KC-46 refueling aircraft.

 

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday at the NATO summit that the ceasefire with Iran was "going very well," praised Israel's achievements in the operation, and emphasized its success. Trump added, "The last thing Iran wants to do is enrich anything. They want to recover." He continued, "Can you imagine, after all this, if Iran said: 'Let's make a bomb'?"

He also said, "It was obliteration, and you're going to see it—it's going to come out. Israel is preparing a report on it, and I was told they're saying it was total obliteration. They have guys going in after the strike, and they're saying it was complete destruction."

 

 

Damage at the Fordo facility. 

 

A White House statement cited an assessment from an Israeli agency operating under the Prime Minister's Office: "The devastating US strike on Fordo destroyed the site's critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperative. We assess that the US attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other components of Iran's military nuclear program, have pushed back Iran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon by many years."