The key facts

  • CENTCOM called reports of preparations to resume operations against Iran 'pure speculation'
  • Israeli channel KAN, citing a US official, reported a call for Israel to prepare for a possible resumption of operations
  • According to KAN, two aircraft carriers are in the region, a third is expected, and about 200 refueling aircraft have been deployed

Denial after Israeli broadcaster's report

US armed forces command in the Central Command area of responsibility (CENTCOM) rejected a report about possible preparations to resume military operations against Iran. Responding to a request from the Anadolu agency, an official spokesperson for the command stated that there are no updates to the configuration of American forces in the Middle East, and that the relevant claims are 'pure speculation.'

What the original report claimed

The denial followed a report by Israeli public broadcaster KAN, which, citing a US official, said that CENTCOM had urged Israel to prepare for a possible resumption of military operations against Iran in the near future. According to the broadcaster, the warning was conveyed to Israeli military representatives in the US. KAN also reported that Washington, through security channels, is sending similar messages to the countries of the Persian Gulf.

Force deployment figures

The KAN report claimed that the US had deployed about 200 refueling aircraft in the Middle East and Europe. According to these figures, the aircraft carriers USS George Washington and USS George H.W. Bush are already in the region, while a third — USS Roosevelt — is expected in the Arabian Sea next week. CENTCOM, for its part, stated there have been no changes to the regional force grouping, without separately disputing or confirming the cited figures. Thus, it remains unclear whether the deployment information is accurate: the command limited itself to a general denial of plans to resume operations.