Four U.S. Aircraft Refueling Flights at Morón Air Base in Spain Raise Questions Over Iran

After U.S. President Donald Trump announced in the middle of this month his decision to postpone a military strike against Iran, based on reports indicating that the Iranian government had stopped using violence against protesters, signs of military escalation have returned, temporarily.

Trump justified this decision by citing the decline in the direct threat, which reduced the motives for military intervention at that moment; however, signs of escalation have reappeared, as intensive air traffic of “Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker” refueling aircraft has been observed, indicating the possibility of renewed military preparations.

Misbar’s team at Al-Araby TV analyzed and tracked the routes of four aircraft of this type, revealing their heading towards an American airbase in Spain, the same base that was part of a previous plan to target Iranian facilities in June 2025.

Intensive Flights to Morón Base

Late on the evening of January 20, our team spotted a Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker, registration number 57-2603, taking off from Mars Air Force Base in California and landing at Morón Air Force Base in Spain.

We also observed a refueling aircraft of the same type, registration number 61-0299, landing at Morón Air Base in Spain, coming from Mars Air Force Base, on a route similar to the first aircraft.

Along the same route, the team tracked other flights that departed at approximately the same time from the U.S. Mars Air Force Base in California, heading towards Morón, where we spotted two flights of Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker refueling aircraft that took off from Riverside Air Force Base towards Morón Air Force Base.

The first aircraft, registration number 57-1468, took off from the U.S. Mars Air Force Base in California and concealed its arrival signal at Morón Air Force Base in Spain.

The second one, registration number 58-0052, also took off from the U.S. Mars Air Force Base in California, and hid its signal on the same route upon arrival at Morón Air Force Base in southern Spain.

Why is Morón Air Base Important?

The U.S. air base in Morón, located in southern Spain, is a crucial logistical element in any U.S. military plan or redeployment of US forces, as it plays a key role in supporting aerial refueling aircraft and enabling long-range strikes.

The base houses a fleet of American refueling aircraft, such as the KC-135 and KC-46, and is used as a hub for aircraft transit and refueling during their long flights to the Middle East, including routes towards Iran.

During the war between Iran and Israel in June 2025 (the 12-day war), which saw an American strike on Iranian nuclear sites, Morón Air Base was part of the American military plan, as air traffic tracking data recorded the arrival of many KC-135 refueling aircraft at the base, just hours before the start of the American attack on Tehran’s nuclear facilities.

The base’s importance lies in the integration between the KC-135 aircraft currently stationed there or destined for it in the future, and the strategic stealth bombers (B-2 Spirit), which carried out the recent U.S. attack on Iran.

The presence of refueling aircraft at Morón Air Base enables bombers such as the B-2 to refuel in the air, greatly extending their combat range and making it possible to carry out direct airstrikes on targets in Iran from Europe, without having to stop at bases closer to the target.

It is noted from the above that the scenario of the previous American strike on Iran is being repeated, as the transfer of refueling aircraft from California to Spain is a “replica” of the events that occurred during the targeting of Tehran’s nuclear facilities. This route in particular (California–Spain) was used to support strategic stealth bombers during Operation Midnight Hammer in June 2025.

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