U.S. Military Aircraft Land in Israel as Netanyahu Warns Iran of ‘Force They Cannot Even Imagine’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Monday that the Iranian regime would face “a force it cannot even imagine” if it attacked the Jewish state, as U.S. supply and cargo planes landed at Ben Gurion Airport and a U.S. carrier strike group advanced toward the eastern Mediterranean amid escalating regional tensions.
Addressing the Knesset – Israel’s parliament – during a special debate, Netanyahu said the country was going through “very complex and difficult days”, warning that “no one knows what tomorrow will bring.”
He said he had sent a direct message to Tehran: if it makes “perhaps the most serious mistake in its history” and hits Israel, the response will be overwhelming.
“We will respond with a force they cannot even imagine,” he said.
Netanyahu called on Israelis to stand “shoulder to shoulder,” saying now is not a time for internal divisions but for national unity as tensions escalate.
He noted that he had just returned from a summit with US President Donald J. Trump, calling coordination between Jerusalem and Washington – including ties between the IDF and the US military – closer than ever.
“Israel has never been stronger,” Netanyahu said.
His remarks came as Boeing KC-135 refueling planes and C-17 Globemaster transport planes were documented earlier in the day at Ben Gurion Airport. At least two refuelers are believed to have arrived from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest US base in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, the U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford – the world’s largest aircraft carrier – was spotted near Crete after being sent to the region earlier this month to join the USS. Abraham Lincolnwhich is already deployed.
More than 200 U.S. warplanes are now positioned in the Middle East, according to regional security assessments.
Defense analysts tracking open source air and naval data report that more than 85 aerial tankers and more than 170 cargo planes have flown into the region since mid-February — marking the largest buildup of U.S. naval and air power in the Middle East since the 2003 Iraq War, but without a comparable ground force.
New signs of heightened alert have emerged in Lebanon, where the United States has reduced its embassy presence in Beirut to essential personnel only, evacuating around 50 staff and families as a precaution. The embassy remains operational.
In Israel, hospitals have accelerated emergency preparations.
Beersheba’s Soroka Medical Center – which was hit by a ballistic missile in June 2025 – has conducted large-scale simulations and refined patient transfer protocols in preparation for a possible new campaign. Wolfson Medical Center in Holon moved departments and cleared underground areas, while Assuta Medical Center in Tel Aviv opened a fortified underground complex capable of accommodating about 200 patients to ensure continuity of care under sustained missile threat.
City officials also reviewed their emergency preparedness, with several cities confirming that public shelters would automatically open in the event of an attack.
The military reinforcement comes as new negotiations between Washington and Tehran are planned for Thursday in Geneva. Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in what Israeli officials see as a narrowing of the diplomatic window after previous negotiations failed to produce results.
President Trump on Monday afternoon dismissed reports suggesting that senior Pentagon officials had warned him against military action.
“There have been numerous fake media stories circulating claiming that General Daniel Caine… is opposed to us going to war with Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, calling the claims “100% incorrect.”
Trump said Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine believed that if military action were ordered it would be “easily won,” and stressed that only he would decide whether to strike.
“I make the decision,” the president wrote, adding that while he prefers a deal, “if we don’t reach a deal, it will be a very bad day for this country.”
The president’s remarks followed media reports describing the Pentagon’s assessments of the potential risks associated with a prolonged campaign, including casualties and broader regional escalation. No final decision has been announced.
Meanwhile, new anti-regime protests have been reported at several universities in Tehran following the reopening of campuses, with images showing clashes between students and Basij militias.
Netanyahu closed his speech by soberly recalling the uncertainty that awaits him.
“No one knows what tomorrow brings,” he said. “But we are prepared for any scenario.”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
