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The U.S. aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford, described as the world’s largest, arrived off the shores of Israel on Friday, according to Israeli Channel 12.
There has been no official announcement by the U.S. military regarding the deployment.
The reported arrival came after 20 U.S. refueling aircraft landed in Israel on Thursday night.
Six additional U.S. aerial refueling aircraft are expected to head to Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv as part of a broader U.S. military buildup in the Middle East amid escalating tensions with Iran, the Times of Israel reported.
Citing unnamed analysts tracking open-source flight data, the newspaper said five KC-46 refueling planes will depart from Portsmouth International Airport in New Hampshire, while a sixth tanker will depart from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina. All are scheduled to land at Ben Gurion Airport.
The Israeli Broadcasting Authority had earlier reported the arrival of four U.S. KC-46A Pegasus refueling aircraft at the same airport.
The Times of Israel report said several U.S. refueling and cargo aircraft were spotted at Ben Gurion Airport earlier this week, along with the arrival of 11 F-22 stealth fighter jets at Ovda Air Base in southern Israel, accompanied by logistical support aircraft and aircrews.
In recent weeks, dozens of U.S. fighter jets, including F-35s, F-22s, F-15s and F-16s, have been seen heading to the Middle East, alongside dozens of refueling planes and hundreds of military cargo flights, according to the report.
The developments come as indirect negotiations between the U.S. and Iran continue, amid Israeli media assessments that Washington could carry out a strike against Tehran, though no official military decision has been announced by U.S. authorities.
In recent weeks, the U.S. has reinforced its military presence in the region and signaled the possibility of military action to pressure Iran to abandon its nuclear and missile programs and curb what it described as its regional allies.
Tehran has accused Washington and Israel of fabricating pretexts for intervention and regime change and warned it would respond to any military attack, even if limited, while insisting that sanctions relief must accompany any restrictions on its nuclear program.
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