▲ Strait of Hormuz, vessels
The United States, which has resumed armed conflict with Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz, has completely halted the withdrawal of aerial refueling tankers deployed in the Middle East, local media including The Times of Israel reported on July 14.
The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) stated that the U.S. has fully suspended the withdrawal process of its aerial refueling tankers, which had been underway at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport, as the armed conflict with Iran has recently intensified.
As a result, tens of thousands of passengers face the risk of flight cancellations during the peak travel season in July.
The airport authority stated that if further withdrawals of U.S. military aircraft do not proceed at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel's main gateway, up to 50,000 flight tickets could be canceled.
Last month, as tensions showed signs of easing following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to end hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, the U.S. began withdrawing some of the military aerial refueling tankers it had deployed at Ben Gurion Airport.
A fleet of approximately 75 U.S. aerial refueling and transport aircraft had been deployed to Ben Gurion Airport since February 28, prior to the start of U.S.-Israeli attacks against Iran, as part of efforts to bolster U.S. military forces in the Middle East.
As U.S. military refueling tankers occupy a significant amount of space at Israel's major international airport, civil aviation operations are facing disruptions.
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