American refueler and cargo planes were spotted at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv on Monday, amid a massive US buildup of military forces ahead of a potential attack on Iran.

There was no comment from Israeli authorities regarding the American military deployment at Israel’s main civilian airport.

The planes had arrived at Ben Gurion within the preceding day. It was unclear whether they were in the country temporarily as part of a stopover.

Around the same time, the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, was seen arriving at Crete’s Souda Bay, likely as part of a supply stop at the US Naval Support Activity base located there.

US President Donald Trump ordered the strike group to the Middle East earlier this month, to join another carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, that is already deployed to the region.

The US is holding talks with Iran over its nuclear program, but has threatened to attack if they do not bear fruit. Trump also vowed to help anti-government protesters in Iran, before the regime killed them en masse last month.

According to the Military Air Tracking Alliance, a team of about 30 open-source analysts that routinely analyzes military and government flight activity, more than 85 fuel tankers and over 170 cargo planes have headed into the region since mid-February.

It is the largest buildup of American military forces in the Middle East since the run-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, though that buildup dwarfed this one, and included a major ground force, which this one does not.

India’s foreign ministry urged its citizens Monday to leave Iran, citing the “evolving situation.”

The ministry estimates there are usually around 10,000 citizens in Iran, who it said “should exercise due caution, avoid areas of protests or demonstrations, stay in contact with the Indian embassy in Iran and monitor local media for any developments.”

Earlier, the US evacuated dozens of staffers from its embassy in Beirut, “as a precautionary measure amid anticipated regional developments.”

That move came at a time of growing speculation that the Hezbollah terror group, of which Iran is the principal sponsor, will attack Israel if the US strikes the Islamic Republic.

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