alex murray
BBC Verified Journalist

The past 24 hours have been a busy one for analysts tracking the scale of U.S. military deployments in Europe and the Middle East. Including the sighting of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier near Morocco..

The US is reportedly considering options for military action against Iran, with the US setting up refueling points at bases stretching from the southern Spanish island of Rota to the Greek island of Crete to support the operation of fighter jets and other aircraft, according to Flightradar 24 data.

The KC-135 Stratotanker tanker is the workhorse of the fleet, six of which are listed on Flightradar24 as parked at Naval Base Rota.

Seven more KC-135s are stationed at Souda Bay Naval Base on Crete.

“It is becoming really difficult to keep up with movements of this scale and intensity,” said analysts at Italmir Radar, which tracks military operations in the Mediterranean.

This assessment is consistent with what we’ve heard from other experts. Sam Wise, an aviation analyst at information firm Janes, said there had been “higher than normal travel volumes” in recent days.

The high profile and scale of the deployment means there is no longer an element of surprise in any U.S. action against Iran, said Alun Dawson, a researcher at the Freeman Institute for Aerospace Studies.

Dawson added that if the U.S. wants to succeed, it will likely need “a larger or more sustained effort.”