USA

It is not clear if the US movements are directly related to the conflict, but an expert declared BBC Verify that the flights of the cistern airplanes were “extremely unusual.”

Justin Bronk, a senior analyst of the Royal United Services Institute experts, said the deployments are “very indicative” that the US is implementing contingency plans to “support intensive combat operations” in the region in the coming weeks.

The seven aircraft tracked by BBC Verify continued their trip and, according to flight tracking data, they could be seen flying east of Sicily this Tuesday afternoon.

Six of them had no declared destination; One landed on the Greek island of Crete.

However, Vice Admiral Mark Mellett, former head of Irish defense forces, said the movements could be part of a broader policy of “strategic ambiguity” that could be trying to influence Iran to make concessions in negotiations on its nuclear program.

Israel initially launched an attack against Iranian nuclear infrastructure on Friday, just one day after the deadline imposed by US President Donald Trump, Iran to reach an agreement on the suspension of its nuclear program.

The movements of the airplanes occur in the midst of reports that the US has also transferred an aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, from the South China Sea to the Middle East.

The news agency Reuters He informed that an event planned with the ship in Vietnam was canceled after what the US embassy in Hanói called an “emerging operational need.”

Marinetraffic, a ship tracking website, showed that the last location of the USS Nimitz was in the Malaca Strait, heading to Singapore, at dawn on Tuesday.

The Nimitz transports a contingent of combat aircraft and is escorted by several destroyers with guided missiles.

US has also transferred F-16, F-22 and F-35 combat airplanes to bases in the Middle East, according to Reuters Three defense officials this Tuesday.

Cistern aircraft transferred to Europe in recent days can be used to refuel to these aircraft.

Earlier on Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance suggested that the US could intervene to support Israel's campaign, writing on social networks that Trump “could decide that he needs to take more measures” to end the Iranian nuclear program.

It is believed that Tehran manages two important underground plants of uranium enrichment.

Natanz has already been attacked by Israel, and Fordo is buried in the depths of a mountain complex near the city of Qom.

To penetrate the facilities, USA would probably have to use massive ammunition penetrators (MOP) GBU-57A/B, according to BBC Verify two senior Western military officers.

MOP are huge 13,600 kg pumps, also known as “bunkers destroyers.”

The bomb is the only conventional weapon of its type considered to drill up to 60 meters of concrete.

Only the B-2 furtive bomber can transport these ammunition.

Recently, USA deployed a B-2 bombers squad at its base on Diego García Island.

Although the island is about 3,800 kilometers from the southern coast of Iran, its location in Diego García would place the bombers within Tehran's attack reach.

“From Diego García, a much more efficient sustained operation could be maintained,” Greg Bagwell's Marshal, former submEfe of operations of the British Air Force, told BBC Verify.

“They could be operating 24 hours a day,” he added.

The first satellite images showed that B-2 bombers were parked in Diego García at the end of March, but the most recent images of the island no longer show the bombers present.

Mellet said he hoped to see the bombers on the island before any operation against Iran and described his absence as “a missing piece of the puzzle.”

However, he pointed out that the B-2 operate for 24 hours in a row and could take off from the US continental territory if the White House decided to launch an attack.

“They have removed any means to defend themselves, which obviously leaves any military objective, or even nuclear, practically at the mercy of what Israel wants to do,” Bagwell said.

With additional information from Merlyn Thomas.

Subscribe here To our new newsletter to receive every Friday a selection of our best content of the week.

And remember that you can receive notifications in our app. Download the latest version and act.