US refueling aircraft spotted in Israel ahead of expected arrival of USS Gerald Ford later this week

The USS Gerald Ford, the largest aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy, arrived in Souda Bay, on the island of Crete, Monday evening ahead of its expected trip to Israel's Haifa Bay later this week. 

The large nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was ordered to the region by U.S. President Donald Trump despite an extensive deployment for the vessel, which was previously patrolling in the Caribbean Sea since November 2025, and participated in the raid to extradite Venezuelan dictator Nikolas Maduro. 

The ship was spotted entering the Mediterranean Sea on Friday as it passed through the Strait of Gibraltar. While reports have indicated that the carrier would likely anchor off the coast of Israel, to aid with the Jewish state’s air defense systems, in the event of an Iranian attack, there has been no official confirmation of the vessel’s destination. 

According to a report in Greek City Times, the carrier is expected to remain at the port in Souda Bay for approximately 4 days for resupply and crew rest, while Israeli news reports on Monday claimed the USS Gerald Ford would resupply at Haifa Bay. 

The simultaneous presence of two U.S. aircraft carriers in the Middle East is unusual; the last such occurrence occurred as part of Israel’s Operation Rising Lion and the U.S.’s Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025. 

At the same time, Walla News reported that several KC-135 refueling planes, along with a C-17 Globemaster, had arrived at the Ben Gurion International Airport outside Tel Aviv on Sunday. The refueling planes, commonly called tankers in the military, are necessary for sustaining multiple fighter jet combat sorties, allowing them to fly farther or reposition to different arenas without having to land and refuel, which takes more time. 

Israeli officials did not comment on the presence of the U.S. aircraft, and it is not clear if the tankers will remain in Israel to support possible Israeli participation in a strike, or if they will aid U.S. planes stationed in Jordan, who are expected to aid in aerial defense roles. Previous Globemaster flights to Israel have delivered components, such as interceptors, for the THAAD air defense systems stationed in Israel. 

The buildup of U.S forces continues ahead of the next round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, scheduled to take place in Geneva, Switzerland, on Thursday. Trump has reportedly demanded that Iran present a draft proposal agreement as a condition for the third round of talks.

A 10-day deadline for a deal, mentioned by Trump during last week's Board of Peace meeting, is set to expire early next week. The USS Gerald Ford is expected to still be in the Mediterranean for both of those dates.