Iran's 'Zero Hour' Warning Comes As Trump Eyes Fresh Strikes On Nuclear Sites

The United States is considering deploying additional aerial refuelling aircraft to Israel amidst an escalation of military options against Iran, as discussed in a recent Situation Room meeting led by President Trump.

New Delhi: The United States is preparing to deploy dozens of additional aerial refuelling aircraft to Israel as President Donald Trump considers significantly expanding military operations against Iran, according to a report by Axios.

The move comes after Trump reviewed a series of new military options during a Situation Room meeting on Tuesday, with officials saying the proposed plans go beyond the current US campaign around the Strait of Hormuz and could target critical infrastructure and nuclear-linked facilities deep inside Iran.

While Trump has not made a final decision, US and Israeli officials told Axios that an escalation could be ordered in the coming days.

According to the report, the White House is weighing attacks on Iranian power plants, underground nuclear facilities and strategic infrastructure in an effort to further cripple Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Among the potential targets is Pickaxe Mountain, an underground site believed to be under construction and suspected of housing sensitive nuclear-related facilities.

The objective, officials told Axios, is to make Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile even more difficult to access while increasing pressure on Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and return to negotiations over its nuclear programme.

Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump has been consulting Vice President JD Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine as he weighs his next steps.

The proposed escalation is expected to be backed by a significant military build-up in Israel.

The US currently has around 30 aerial refuelling aircraft stationed at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and a similar number at Ramon Airport in southern Israel.

Israeli officials told Axios that Washington now wants to deploy several dozen additional aircraft, restoring the fleet to roughly the size maintained at the start of the conflict.

Aerial refuelling aircraft are considered crucial for long-range missions, allowing fighter jets and bombers to remain airborne for extended periods and strike targets deep inside Iran without returning to base.

The Trump administration has formally asked Israel to accommodate the additional aircraft, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expected to make the final decision.

US military officials reportedly prefer operating the aircraft from Ben Gurion Airport despite concerns over congestion, arguing that alternative bases in the region are more vulnerable to potential Iranian attacks.

The military preparations come as US strikes against Iranian-linked targets entered their seventh consecutive day. According to Axios, US forces bombed at least seven bridges around Bandar Abbas, a key port city used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to transport ammunition, supplies and reinforcements across the Strait of Hormuz.

Washington believes disrupting these logistics routes could weaken Iran’s operational capabilities in one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.

As the confrontation intensifies, Iran has expanded attacks on US military installations across the Middle East, targeting bases in Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq and Kuwait, according to the report.

The IRGC also claimed responsibility for an attack on a former US base in Syria, although American troops had already withdrawn from the facility months earlier.

Iran has further claimed that its ballistic missile and drone strikes destroyed several US refuelling aircraft and fighter jets stationed in Jordan and damaged many others. The claims have not been independently verified.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has also issued fresh warnings to the United States. In a statement carried by Iranian state television, the IRGC Navy Command said American military movements in the region were being closely monitored and warned that US naval forces were approaching the “zero hour” of an Iranian operation.

“The Americans are drawing closer by the moment to the zero hour of an operation by Iran’s Armed Forces against CENTCOM naval units in the region’s waters,” the statement said, ending with the warning: “Wait and see.”