Ramon Airport
Airport in southern Israel used partly for US refuelling aircraft deployed during the Iran conflict.
Ramon Airport, in southern Israel near Eilat, began hosting additional US aerial refuelling aircraft on 22 July 2026 as Washington reinforced the region alongside relocated F-16 and F-35 squadrons.
Last refreshed: 24 July 2026
Why is a small Negev airfield hosting US refuelling aircraft during the Iran war?
Timeline for Ramon Airport
Received some of the relocated refuelling aircraft
Iran Conflict 2026: Washington flies fighters into the GulfBackground
Ramon Airport is a civilian airfield in Israel's southern Negev region, close to the borders with Jordan and Egypt. It is one of the bases receiving additional US aerial refuelling aircraft as Washington reinforces the region during the Iran conflict, alongside F-16 and F-35 jets relocated from European bases, a build-up confirmed on 22 July 2026.
The airport's role in this reinforcement is one of hosting rather than permanent basing: it has periodically received allied military aircraft during past regional escalations without becoming a fixture of the US presence in Israel. Refuelling aircraft, more than the fighter jets themselves, are the more significant signal in this deployment, since tankers extend strike range and loiter time rather than simply reinforcing existing squadrons.
That distinction matters for reading the current build-up: a temporary tanker presence at a civilian Negev airfield points to preparation for longer-range missions, not the establishment of a new permanent US base in southern Israel.