Satellite Images Show US Military Preparations for Possible Iran War
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Satellite imagery reveals a major buildup of U.S. tanker aircraft and heavy transport planes in European bases as President Donald Trump is expected to make a decision on striking Iran.
Newsweek has reached out to Pentagon for comment.
Why It Matters
The ongoing military reinforcement signals the readiness of U.S. forces for potential conflict with Iran. Trump is expected to decide on whether or not to have the United States join Israel's war with Iran "within the next two weeks," according to the White House.
The highly visible deployment of strategic assets across continents—in addition to the recent arrival of the "Doomsday Plane" at Joint Base Andrews—may also be intended to send a strong message to Tehran and to increase psychological pressure amid escalating tensions.
Drag slider
compare photos
What To Know
A surge in U.S. Air Force activity appeared in satellite images spotted by open-intelligence analysts on X, at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, the Aviano Air Base in Italy and Chania Air Base in Greece.
Drag slider
compare photos
Iran has warned against any attack and accused the United States of complicity in Israel's attacks. Some politicians have also raised the possibility of shutting down the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil chokepoint connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea and key to oil shipments to Asia, in response.
Tanker aircraft appear to be parked at key locations so they can continuously refuel fighter jets coming from Europe, like F-22s based at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, the largest U.S. Air Base in Europe.
They can also refuel bombers flying from the U.S. mainland, enabling them to fly nonstop round trips to the target area and back. This nonstop flight is called a CONUS-to-CONUS mission—CONUS means the continental United States. The last time the U.S. Air Force publicly practiced such a long nonstop CONUS-to-CONUS operation was in February, flying over North Africa for about 30 hours.
Drag slider
compare photos
This setup means if President Trump orders an airstrike, U.S. jets could reach the target without stopping for fuel on the ground. Additionally, some bombers and tankers are already positioned at Diego Garcia, a strategic U.S. base in the Indian Ocean, ready for quick deployment.
Recent satellite imagery showed U.S. aircraft have vacated a key air base in Qatar, in another sign that a confrontation with Iran could be imminent.
What People Are Saying
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: "I have a message directly from the president and I quote: Based on the fact that there is a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision, whether or not to go within the next two weeks."
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian media: "In these attacks that have been carried out against Iran, there are multiple signs indicating cooperation between U.S. forces present in the region and the Zionist regime."
What Happens Next
European nations may pursue limited diplomacy with Iran, but broader talks are not likely to resume amid ongoing Israeli strikes and rising tensions. That could increase the chances of deeper U.S. involvement.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
40 minutes ago
Judge rules Trump administration can't require states to help on immigration to get transport money
BOSTON -- A federal judge on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from withholding billions of dollars in transportation funds from states that don't agree to participate in some immigration enforcement actions. Twenty states sued after they said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy threatened to cut off funding to states that refused to comply with President Donald Trump's immigration agenda. U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr. barred federal transportation officials from carrying out that threat before the lawsuit is fully resolved. 'The Court finds that the States have demonstrated they will face irreparable and continuing harm if forced to agree to Defendants' unlawful and unconstitutional immigration conditions imposed in order to receive federal transportation grant funds,' wrote McConnell, the chief judge for the federal district of Rhode island. 'The States face losing billions of dollars in federal funding, are being put in a position of relinquishing their sovereign right to decide how to use their own police officers, are at risk of losing the trust built between local law enforcement and immigrant communities, and will have to scale back, reconsider, or cancel ongoing transportation projects.' On April 24, states received letters from the Department of Transportation stating that they must cooperate on immigration efforts or risk losing the congressionally appropriated funds. No funding was immediately withheld, but some of the states feared the move was imminent. Attorneys general from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin and Vermont filed the lawsuit in May, saying the new so-called 'Duffy Directive' put them in an impossible position. 'The States can either attempt to comply with an unlawful and unconstitutional condition that would surrender their sovereign control over their own law enforcement officers and reduce immigrants' willingness to report crimes and participate in public health programs — or they can forfeit tens of billions of dollars of funds they rely on regularly to support the roads, highways, railways, airways, ferries, and bridges that connect their communities and homes,' the attorneys general wrote in court documents. But acting Rhode Island U.S. Attorney Sara Miron Bloom told the judge that Congress has given the Department of Transportation the legal right to set conditions for the grant money it administers to states, and that requiring compliance and cooperation with federal law enforcement is a reasonable exercise of that discretion. Allowing the federal government to withhold the funds while the lawsuit moves forward doesn't cause any lasting harm, Bloom wrote in court documents, because that money can always be disbursed later if needed.
The Hill
40 minutes ago
- The Hill
Democrat: Trump two-week Iran deadline ‘not a bad thing'
Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) tepidly praised President Trump on his handling of the ongoing military conflict between Israel and Iran, after the president said he would wait two weeks to decide whether to take direct action against Iran. 'The fact that we're not reading about a U.S. attack on Iran right now actually gives me a little bit of comfort,' the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee told independent broadcaster Jim Acosta in an interview posted online Thursday. Trump said in a statement that White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt read to reporters during Thursday's press briefing that there is 'substantial chance of negotiation that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future.' 'I will make my decision whether or not to go in the next two weeks,' the president said. The announcement prompted Trump's critics to revive the TACO meme, short for 'Trump Always Chickens Out,' and accuse the president of frequently falling back to a two-week timeline for decisions — regardless of their importance. 'We can sort of joke about TACO, and you know everything is two weeks or four weeks or never, but I think when you're talking about war in the Middle East, going slower than rather than faster is not a bad thing,' Himes said. The United Nations Security Council is meeting Friday to discuss the ongoing strikes between Israel and Iran as the conflict enters its second week. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, met with Britain's foreign secretary Thursday to discuss potential diplomatic off-ramps. Himes told Acosta that he thinks there is still time to work out an agreement before the U.S. military jumps into the war. 'The advice I would give the president is, you are in a point of maximum leverage right now, and the regime has been badly hurt, badly embarrassed,' Himes said, describing the U.S.'s ability to negotiate a deal on Iran's nuclear future. 'They're probably worried about what's gonna happen inside Iran with the Iranian people.'
New York Post
40 minutes ago
- New York Post
Audi weighs $4.6B US plant to placate Trump, avoid tariffs: report
German automaker Audi is reportedly considering plans to build a factory in the US to placate President Trimp and skirt tariffs on foreign imports. The luxury brand is weighing whether to build a plant in the southern US, one of the more expensive options out of a number of scenarios being considered, German news magazine Der Spiegel reported on Friday. Audi estimated the cost of building a new factory in the US could reach up to $4.6 billion, according to the report. Advertisement Audi is reportedly considering plans to build a factory in the US. AP A spokesperson for Audi, which is owned by Volkswagen Group, said the company is considering various options when it comes to expanding its presence in the US. 'We are confident that we will make a decision this year in consultation with the [Volkswagen] group on how this will look in concrete terms,' the spokesperson said. Trump's 25% tax on foreign cars and auto parts has already hit German carmakers hard. Advertisement In April alone, they incurred additional costs of more than $500 million in their export business to the US, according to estimates from Germany's auto industry lobby group. While Audi currently has no production sites in the US, Volkswagen has a plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., and a facility under construction in Columbia, SC. Meanwhile, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen are in talks with the White House on a potential import tariff deal – hoping to use their investments in the US as leverage for lowering rates, sources told Reuters. Advertisement President Trump announces steep tariff rates alongside Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during a press conference in April. REUTERS Mercedes-Benz in May announced that it is moving production of its GLC SUV – the company's second best-seller – to the US. BMW has also discussed adding shifts and boosting output at its South Carolina plant to ease pressure from Trump. Advertisement Several other major automakers have taken steps to ramp up US manufacturing since Trump has taken office. Jeep owner Stellantis announced plans to reopen its shuttered Illinois plant, while Honda is looking to shift production of the Civic from Japan to the US. With Post wires
