U.S. bolsters Trump's Middle East military options by moving refueling aircraft, officials say | 16 June 2025 | The U.S. military has moved a large number of refueling aircraft to Europe to provide options to President Donald Trump as Middle East tensions erupt into conflict between Iran and Israel, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity. The officials also said the U.S. aircraft carrier Nimitz was heading to the Middle East, in what one of them said was a pre-planned deployment. The Nimitz can hold 5,000 personnel and more than 60 aircraft, including fighter jets. Taken together, the deployments, which were first reported by Reuters, suggest the United States is greatly strengthening its air power for potentially sustained operations as Iran and Israel trade blows in unprecedented open warfare. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a post on X late on Monday, said he had ordered the deployment of additional defensive capabilities to the Middle East, but did not offer specifics.