The move comes as Washington weighs a broader military offensive against Iran that could extend beyond current operations around the Strait of Hormuz.
The US currently operates around 30 refuelling aircraft from Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and a similar number from Ramon Airport in southern Israel.
The development comes as US military operations against Iranian targets reportedly entered a fifth consecutive day.
The additional refuelling aircraft are expected to enhance the US military's ability to sustain long-range air operations in the region.
Ben Gurion Airport has already faced operational strain due to the presence of US military aircraft and an increase in deployments could affect civilian air traffic during the busy summer travel season.
The United States is preparing to deploy dozens of additional aerial refuelling aircraft to Israel as President Donald Trump reviews options for a possible expansion of military operations against Iran, according to a report by Axios citing US and Israeli officials.
The move comes as Washington weighs a broader military offensive against Iran that could extend beyond current operations around the Strait of Hormuz. Axios reported that Trump was presented with several new military plans during a Situation Room meeting earlier this week and is yet to make a final decision on whether to escalate the campaign.
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According to the report, options under consideration include strikes on Iranian infrastructure such as power plants, further attacks on nuclear facilities aimed at rendering Tehran's enriched uranium stockpiles inaccessible and possible strikes on the underground Pickaxe Mountain site, which is believed to be under development.
Officials cited by the US news outlet said Trump could decide on an escalation in the coming days, although no final approval has been given.
The US currently operates around 30 refuelling aircraft from Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and a similar number from Ramon Airport in southern Israel. Israeli officials told Axios that Washington intends to send several dozen more aircraft, potentially restoring the refuelling fleet to levels seen at the beginning of the conflict.
The Trump administration, the report said, has formally asked Israel to accommodate the additional aircraft. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to make the final decision on the request.
The development comes as US military operations against Iranian targets reportedly entered a fifth consecutive day. On Thursday, US forces carried out strikes in and around the Strait of Hormuz and along Iran's southern coastline.
The forces targeted at least seven bridges near the strategic port city of Bandar Abbas, a key logistics hub for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). A US official told the outlet that the bridges were used to move ammunition, supplies and reinforcements across the region.
At the same time, Iran has intensified attacks targeting US military installations in Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq and Kuwait. The IRGC also claimed responsibility for an attack on a US base in Syria, though US troops had reportedly withdrawn from that location months ago.
The additional refuelling aircraft are expected to enhance the US military's ability to sustain long-range air operations in the region.
The proposed deployment has also sparked debate within Israel. Ben Gurion Airport has already faced operational strain due to the presence of US military aircraft and an increase in deployments could affect civilian air traffic during the busy summer travel season.
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