U.S. Navy Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) has turned on their AIS as they approach the Strait of Gibraltar. Once the strait transit is complete, at an average speed of 20kts, they will arrive in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in about 4 days.

24 of the 36 U.S. Air Force F-16CJs that are on their way to the Middle East, including those from the South Carolina Air National Guard's 169th Fighter Wing based at McEntire Joint National Guard Base (seen below) and 480th Fighter Squadron based at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, are in the "Wild Weasel" configuration, specializing in Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD).

The Trump Administration is preparing for a major war with Iran that would likely consist of a massive, weeks-long campaign by Israel and the United States that would look more like full-fledged war than last month’s pinpoint operation in Venezuela, sources tell Axios, with one Trump advisor stating, “The boss is getting fed up. Some people around him warn him against going to war with Iran, but I think there is 90% chance we see kinetic action in the next few weeks.”

Israel’s government - which is pushing for a maximalist scenario targeting regime change as well as Iran's nuclear and missile programs - is preparing for a scenario of war within days, two Israeli officials tell Axios.

One of the busiest days for the U.S. Air Force in Europe that I have seen in recent history, with close to a dozen KC-135R/T Stratotankers airborne across the Mediterranean and off the coast of Spain, while a steady line of C-17A Globemaster IIIs can be seen heading towards and returning from bases in the Middle East.

BACN07, a Bombardier E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) has departed Robins Air Force Base in Georgia and is heading northeast along the east coast of the United States, likely preparing to cross the Atlantic towards Europe. This would place at least 2 BACNs in the region, with another E-11A arriving yesterday at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

A major arms-sales package from the United States for Taiwan, worth over $11 billion, is in limbo following pressure from Chinese President Xi Jinping and concerns among some in the Trump Administration that greenlighting the weapons deal would derail a future economic deal between the two countries as well as President Trump’s upcoming visit to Beijing, U.S. officials have told the Wall Street Journal.

12 F-15E Strike Eagles with the U.S. Air Force’s 492nd Fighter Squadron departed RAF Lakenheath earlier today bound for the Middle East, with a total of 36 F-15Es to soon be in theatre across the U.S. Central Command’s Area-of-Responsibility.

In addition to the E-11A BACN that arrived in Germany yesterday, three more are deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. When this one arrives, 5 of 8 active aircraft in the fleet will be in the EUCOM and CENTCOM Areas-of-Responsibility. The E-11A enables cross platform data and voice connectivity for ground and air forces.

An Israeli Political-Security Cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday has been rescheduled for Sunday at 6:30PM, according to i24NEWS.

A Tu-214PU Airborne Command Post with Russia’s “Rossiya” Special Flight Squadron has just left Tehran returning to Moscow.

The Russian Steregushchiy-class corvette “Stoikiy” has arrived in the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas in the Strait of Hormuz ahead of upcoming naval exercises later this week with the Iranian Navy and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the Gulf of Oman.

A U.S. Air Force E-3 “Sentry” Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Aircraft, DENALI02, which arrived at RAF Mildenhall from Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska earlier this week, filmed departing today for the Middle East.

Video credit goes to @ArmchairAdml on X.

Conservative commentator and influencer Tucker Carlson has arrived in Israel to conduct an interview with U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee.

Israel has raised its alert level and is stepping up military preparations amid growing indications of a potential joint American-Israel attack on Iran in the coming days, two Israeli sources told CNN.

The Israeli Homefront Command and Magen David Adom (MDA) have been instructed to prepare for a full-scale war with Iran, with a high-level defensive alert having been declared across Israel, according to N12.

U.S. officials tell i24NEWS: “Forces weren’t deployed just to sit on bases for long weeks.”

Several KC-135R Stratotankers arrive at Naval Station Rota in Spain after crossing the Atlantic from the United States, while 2 KC-135Rs and a 2 KC-46As, CLEAN21/22/31/32, depart Rota towing the 12 F-16CJ Strike Eagles with the South Carolina Air National Guard’s 169th Fighter Wing that arrived at Lajes Field yesterday, across the Mediterranean.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt: “Well there's many reasons and arguments that one could make for a strike against Iran. The President had a very successful operation as Commander-in-Chief with Operation Midnight Hammer, as you know, as you just said, totally obliterated Iran's nuclear facilities. The President has always been very clear, though, with respect to Iran or any country around the world, diplomacy is always his first option, and Iran would be very wise to make a deal with President Trump and with this administration.“

In a post earlier on Truth Social about the United Kingdom’s plan to turn over the Chagos Islands - which contains Diego Garcia - to Mauritius, President Donald J. Trump stated: “Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime — An attack that would potentially be made on the United Kingdom, as well as other friendly Countries.”

Just yesterday, the U.S. State Department said in statement that it “supports the decision of the United Kingdom to proceed with its agreement with Mauritius concerning the Chagos Archipelago.”