From the Liveblog of
Thursday, March 5, 2026
IDF says it carried out over 550 aerial refuelings amid war with Iran
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleEmanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The military publishes footage showing the Israeli Air Force’s 120th Squadron’s aerial refueling activities amid the war with Iran.
According to the IDF, more than 550 aerial refuelings were carried out over the skies of the Middle East, allowing hundreds of IAF fighter jets to operate in Iran, located over 1,500 kilometers (nearly 1,000 miles) from Israel.
The IDF says five million pounds of fuel were transferred by the IAF’s refuelers during the current conflict, which constitutes more than half of the total refuelings carried out during June 2025’s 12-day war.
The IAF has also relied heavily on the US military’s aerial refueling capabilities, as the US military has roughly 10 times Israel’s refueling fleet. Dozens of US refueling tankers have been stationed in Israel amid the conflict.
An IAF Boeing 707 refueling plane refuels a fighter jet over the Middle East, in a handout video issued on March 5, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)
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