The United States has increased its military presence at Ben Gurion Airport and evacuated its diplomatic personnel from Lebanon amid growing tensions with Iran, just days before the resumption of nuclear talks.
According to Israel's public broadcaster Kan and reported by the Argentine News Agency, aerial refueling tankers and heavy C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft have landed at Ben Gurion Airport in the last 24 hours. Images showed the aircraft parked near Tel Aviv, Israel's main international gateway.
The broadcaster noted that the increase in U.S. assets is part of preparations for a possible attack on Iran. Washington has bolstered its regional presence by deploying additional fighter jets, an aircraft carrier, and support resources. U.S. officials have stated that "all options are on the table" if the diplomatic path fails to resolve disputes over Iran's nuclear and missile programs.
Iran, for its part, has warned that it would retaliate against U.S. and Israeli targets in the event of an attack.
In parallel, the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon evacuated dozens of people through Beirut Airport today, which local media described as a "preventive measure against a possible regional escalation."
These movements come after two rounds of indirect nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran this month — the first in Muscat on February 6 and the second in Geneva on February 17 — and before a new meeting scheduled for Thursday in Geneva, according to Oman's Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamood Albusaidi.
