ISTANBUL
US Central Command has relocated aircraft and pre-positioned blood supplies in the Middle East as tensions rise between Israel and Iran, defense officials told CNN on Thursday.
An official confirmed that all non-sheltered aircraft were removed from the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar earlier this week, with satellite images showing an empty airfield.
US Navy vessels also left the port in Bahrain around the same time.
Officials called the actions precautionary, anticipating potential Iranian retaliation against American forces if Washington joins Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.
Sources also said pre-positioning blood is standard in high-risk situations.
Hostilities between Israel and Iran began Friday when Israel launched airstrikes against Iran, targeting military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran’s retaliatory strikes.
Israeli authorities report at least 24 deaths and hundreds injured from Iranian missile attacks. Iranian media reports 639 killed and more than 1,300 wounded in Israeli strikes.
Whether the US will directly enter the conflict remains uncertain, though media reports indicate Washington has deployed more than 30 aerial refueling tankers along with fighter jets and warships to the region.
