Five US refueling aircraft, early warning plane tracked over the Gulf

WASHINGTON, United States — Flight-tracking data shows five U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft and an airborne early warning and control aircraft conducted flights over the Gulf region's airspace. The group included four KC-135 Stratotankers, a KC-46 Pegasus tanker and an E-3 Sentry AWACS plane, with operations extending over the Gulf and neighboring countries' airspace. The flights come against the backdrop of renewed tension between Washington and Tehran. On July 8, U.S. President Donald Trump declared that the ceasefire agreement reached with Iran on the night of June 18 was no longer in effect. The U.S. military has said it carried out strikes against Iran in response to Iranian-linked actions against commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz since the agreement collapsed. Iran has accused the United States of violating the ceasefire and has conducted air operations against American bases and facilities in several Middle Eastern countries. Tehran has also announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints for oil shipments.