Iran’s “concessions” would “be like Israel allowing Iran to get a free punch in a fist fight,” Brian Carter, of the American Enterprise Institute, told JNS.
By Izzy Salant
June 16, 2025
(JNS) The Pentagon shifted a “large number” of refueling planes and an aircraft carrier to the Middle East, suggesting that Washington “is greatly strengthening its air power for potentially sustained operations, as Iran and Israel trade blows in unprecedented open warfare,” Reuters reported, citing two U.S. officials.
A flight tracking website stated that “more than 31” refueling planes were deployed, according to Reuters.
“The decision to deploy a large amount of tanker aircraft appears to reflect U.S. military preparations for any contingency,” Brian Carter, Middle East portfolio manager at the Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, told JNS.
In response to a query, the U.S. Department of Defense directed JNS to a statement from U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
“Over the weekend, I directed the deployment of additional capabilities to the United States Central Command Area of Responsibility,” stated Hegseth. “Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority and these deployments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region.”
Carter told JNS that these capabilities could also serve offensively.
Iran has threatened “that the war could ‘expand’ in unspecified ways if the fighting is not stopped,” he told JNS. “One of these expansions could be Iranian attacks on U.S. forces, which is certainly a contingency CENTCOM is preparing for.”
There is to be “a major exercise in Europe that is going to occur in the next few days,” Carter said, but “it is unlikely such an exercise would require over two dozen of these aircraft.”
The recent deployments come amid Iranian attempts to keep America out of the war. The Islamic Republic reportedly asked Gulf states to help broker a ceasefire by offering a return to nuclear negotiations. But “Iran is not offering any concessions in the negotiations,” Carter said.
“Some sources claim that there are ‘concessions,’ but Iran is only offering concessions if the Israelis stop strikes and allow Iran to finish its ‘response,’” he stated. “This would be like Israel allowing Iran to get a ‘free punch’ in a fist fight.”
U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed support for Israel’s strikes against Iran and warned that any attacks from Tehran on Americans or U.S. sites would face swift retaliation.
“If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before,” Trump stated. “We can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict.”
Since Israel launched a preemptive strike on Iran last week, Iran has fired hundreds of missiles at heavily populated civilian areas in the Jewish state.
