File image.
The United States sent more tankers to Israel on February 27, as it began evacuating its embassy in the country in a sign of a near attack on Iran.
A third round of American-Iranian indirect talks was held in Geneva just a day earlier, with conflicting reports emerging later.
“Signficant progress” was reported by Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, who acted as a mediator. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also described the talks as “serious.” Still, reports from Reuters and other news agencies said that White House envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff left disappointed.
With no deal announced, the deployment of at least nine U.S. refueling tankers arriving at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport came as no surprise. The deployment, confirmed by photos posted to social networks, brought the number of U.S. tankers at the international airport to 14.
Click to see full-size image. (X)
Click to see full-size image. (X)
The tankers are likely to provide support for US fighter jets aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, which is heading toward Israel’s northern coast, in the event that U.S. President Donald Trump orders military strikes on Iran. The carrier appeared sailing towards the port city of Haifa in a satellite image released by China’s MizarVision.
Click to see full-size image. (MizarVision)
They will likely also support some 11 F-22 stealth fighter jets recently deployed at Ovda Air Base in southern Israel. Satellite images from MizarVision show the jets moving around the base, with four positioned on a taxiway.
Click to see full-size image. (MizarVision)
Click to see full-size image. (MizarVision)
Besides the sudden U.S. military buildup in Israel, the American Embassy in Israel announced that the State Department had authorized non-emergency personnel and the family members of those stationed there to leave the country due to “safety risks”.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee reportedly told embassy staffers that if they want to leave Israel they must do it quickly.
If any staffers or family members want to depart, they “should do so TODAY,” Huckabee wrote in the email sent in the morning, according to The New York Times.
Arab media reported similar limited evacuations in the American embassies in Lebanon and Iraq, where armed factions aligned with Iran are active.
In addition, the United Kingdom announced it had temporarily withdrawn its diplomatic staff from Iran due to the security situation.
“Our embassy continues to operate remotely,” the UK Foreign Office said in a statement.
Canada, from its side, called on any of its citizens in Iran to leave as soon as possible as tensions remain high in the region.
“Canadians in Iran: Due to ongoing tensions, hostilities in the region could resume with little or no warning. Leave Iran now if you can do so safely,” the government said. “Ensure travel documents are up-to-date and keep sufficient supplies in case you need to shelter in place.”
All of these developments suggest that Trump could order an attack on Iran over the weekend, and that Israel will join such an operation from the get go.
Multiple recent reports, including ones by Reuters and Axios, suggest that the U.S. is planning a weeks-long aerial campaign. This is the most likely scenario as even a very limited strike is guaranteed to trigger a serious response by the Islamic Republic, who promised an all-out war.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
this is going to be the end of anglo-american military projection and power the same goes for the zios.
iran must be destroyed…heheheh
80% of american oppose another costly war for the zionists. iran can expect to be baited into a first strike ,or the israelis may do another 9-11 style false flag on americans or fake an iranian attack on american forces.
the attacks will happen this weekend. sell, sell, sell.