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.

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.

Imagery captured by the ESA's Sentinel-2 satellites on June 13, 2025, shows U.S. military aircraft parked at Chania Airport in Greece. Copernicus

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.

Imagery captured by the ESA's Sentinel-2 satellites on June 18, 2025, shows additional U.S. military aircraft parked at Aviano Air Base in Italy. Copernicus

Imagery captured by the ESA's Sentinel-2 satellites on June 13, 2025, shows U.S. military aircraft parked at Aviano Air Base in Italy. Copernicus

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.

Imagery captured by the ESA's Sentinel-2 satellites on June 19, 2025, shows additional U.S. military aircraft parked at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Copernicus

Imagery captured by the ESA's Sentinel-2 satellites on June 12, 2025, shows U.S. military aircraft parked at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Copernicus

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.

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