US sends 10 military cargo planes to Israeli air bases, KAN reports
Israel's public broadcaster says the aircraft landed in the Negev as the US and Israel prepare for a possible operation against Iran. An Israeli official said no decision has been made.
TEL AVIV — The United States has sent 10 military cargo planes to air bases in southern Israel, Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported on Thursday, as Washington and Israel prepare for a possible military operation against Iran.
According to KAN, the aircraft landed at the Ovda and Nevatim air bases in the Negev region. The report was relayed by Middle East Eye and by the Indonesian outlet Republika, which cited Turkey's Anadolu news agency.
From the scene, on social media
KAN also reported that several other US military aircraft were sent to bases elsewhere in the region, including in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The broadcaster did not say how many aircraft went to each country, according to the versions of the report available to Zenga News.
What an Israeli official said
An Israeli official told KAN that the two countries are working closely together. "Israel and the United States are coordinating closely, and although no decision has yet been made on the matter, the Americans and Israel are preparing for any decision President Donald Trump makes," the official said, as quoted by Middle East Eye. The wording is from the English-language report. Republika carried the same statement in Indonesian.
According to Republika, the official did not say what form such a decision might take or when it might be made. The official was not named in either report.
Departure point
Republika reported that the planes left from Fort Bliss in the US state of Texas. It described the site as one of the largest air defence centres of the US military, with facilities for interceptor missiles and air defence batteries. Middle East Eye's summary of the KAN report did not mention the departure point, so this detail rests on Republika's account alone.
What is not confirmed
Republika said there has been no official confirmation from the United States about preparing the bases. It also said the cargo carried by the planes has not been established, and that Washington's final decision on any strike on Iran is not known.
The reports describe the deployment as preparation for a possible operation. They do not say that an attack has been ordered or that a date has been set. Zenga News has not independently verified the movements of the aircraft. The information comes from KAN's reporting and from an unnamed Israeli official quoted by the broadcaster.
No statement from the US government, the Israeli government or Iran was included in the source reports. Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Qatar were also not quoted on the reported arrival of US aircraft at bases in their territory.
Background
Republika reported that earlier this week KAN said Washington had warned Gulf states about the possibility of a short, limited military campaign against Iran. The details of that warning, including which countries received it and what it said, were not given in the material available.
KAN also reported, according to Republika, that the US military had moved Patriot missile defence systems from Texas to strengthen air defences in the Gulf region. Patriot systems are used to intercept incoming missiles and aircraft. The report did not say how many systems were moved or where they were placed.
Taken together, the reports describe a series of US military movements to Israel and Gulf locations over several days. They have not been confirmed by officials on the record. The Israeli official's remark that "no decision has yet been made" is the only direct comment on the status of any planning.
Republika's article was published on 29 October 2026, a Thursday, and Middle East Eye's update followed in the early hours of 30 October, according to the timestamps on their pages. Both attribute the core claims to KAN.
The reports leave several questions open. These include what the cargo planes carried, whether the Patriot systems and the aircraft movements are connected, and which decisions President Donald Trump is expected to take. The Israeli official's statement said only that both countries would prepare for whichever decision he makes.
Zenga News will update this report if the United States, Israel or other governments in the region comment.
Sources
This report was written from the sources below and checked against at least two of them.
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