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US refuelling aircraft line up at Ben Gurion Airport amid rising tensions

Dozens of US refuelling aircraft, used to support fighter jets, have been lined up at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s main international airport. Located near the city of Lod, the airport serves as the primary gateway to Tel Aviv, about 20 km away, and Jerusalem, around 45 km away, underscoring its strategic importance amid rising regional tensions.

The development comes after U.S. and Iranian delegations left Islamabad following a failed attempt at negotiations. After more than 21 hours of talks without a breakthrough, attention is now shifting to the next phase of diplomacy in the region.

US Vice President JD Vance said the delegation would leave Pakistan after failing to reach an agreement with Iran, bringing an end to high-stakes talks in Islamabad that lasted over 21 hours. The negotiations, seen as a rare direct engagement between the two sides, concluded without a breakthrough despite sustained efforts.

Addressing reporters after the talks, Vance acknowledged the prolonged discussions but confirmed that no deal had been reached. “we have been at it now for 21 hours” but adds, “the bad news is that we have not reached an agreement”. He added that the U.S. is now planning to leave Pakistan following the inconclusive outcome.

Pakistan will continue to facilitate dialogue between the United States and Iran, said Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, after the talks between the two nations hit a deadlock.

Iran, on Sunday, sharpened its criticism of the United States after the high-stakes talks ended without a deal, with its embassy in Japan accusing Washington of trying to achieve through diplomacy what it “failed to gain through military aggression.”

Taking to X, the Iranian mission said the U.S. approach during the negotiations was fundamentally flawed. “You cannot secure through diplomacy what you failed to gain through military aggression,” it said.

There are also claims circulating on social media, including flight tracking data from platforms such as Flightradar24, suggesting increased movement of U.S. military cargo aircraft towards the Middle East. However, these reports remain unverified.

At the same time, there are signs of partial stabilisation in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said on Sunday that its key east-west oil pipeline and other facilities had been restored following attacks by Iran on infrastructure across the region.

“Energy facilities and the east-west pipeline damaged by attacks have recovered and regained their operational capacity, enhancing the reliability of supplies,” the official Saudi Press Agency reported, citing an energy ministry statement.

Despite improvements in energy infrastructure, the region remains tense, with military posturing and diplomatic uncertainty unfolding simultaneously.