MOSCOW, July 30. /TASS/. An American transport and refueling aircraft, which has been in service for over 66 years, is currently flying over the neutral waters of the Persian Gulf, a source in the Middle East’s air traffic control services told TASS.

"A Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker of the US Air Force took off from Tel Aviv and is currently flying over the neutral waters of the Persian Gulf. This aircraft entered service in March 1960 and has been in operation for over 66 years," the source said, adding that the aircraft is flying a circular route at an altitude of around six kilometers the immediate vicinity of the border of the airspace controlled by Iranian air traffic controllers.

According to the source, three more similar aircraft are currently flying in the area off the coast of the Persian Gulf. "They have not yet flown directly over the waters," he noted.

A source in the regional air traffic control services told TASS not long ago that the average age of many of the transport refueling aircraft that the US is deploying to the Gulf region exceeds 60 years. These are primarily the four-engine Boeing KC-135T Stratotanker, serial production of which began in the 1950s based on the civilian Boeing 367-80. Their main task is to refuel other aircraft, including fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft.

US President Donald Trump told reporters earlier that the United States intends to deliver more powerful strikes against Iran but is trying to find out whether a deal with Tehran is possible.

The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28, striking Tehran and other major Iranian cities. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation targeting sites in Israel, while US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates also came under attack. In June, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding providing for an immediate ceasefire on all fronts. Tensions flared again in early July after a Qatari gas carrier and a Saudi oil tanker came under fire on July 7. The following day, the United States resumed airstrikes on Iran, prompting Tehran to renew attacks on US facilities in the Middle East. On July 24, the two sides announced a halt to their strikes.