By Catherine Cartier, Eleanor Whalley and Maria Laguna
Feb 27 (Reuters) - Satellite images showed a rise in the number of military support aircraft including refuelling tankers at a Saudi airbase used by the U.S. military during a four-day period in February, as Washington built forces in the region amid tensions with Iran.
Saudi Arabia, a longstanding U.S. ally, told Iran last month it would not allow its airspace or territory to be used for military actions against Tehran, which held indirect negotiations with Washington on Thursday over its nuclear programme.
In a high-resolution satellite image taken on February 21, at least 43 aircraft were visible at Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan Airbase - which has hosted U.S. forces for decades - compared with 27 aircraft visible in a February 17 image.
The number dropped to 38 in a February 25 image.
PLANES INCLUDE BOEING KC-135 STRATOTANKERS
The aircraft in the February 21 image included 13 Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers and six Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft known as AWACS, among a total of 29 large, swept-wing aircraft parked at the base, William Goodhind, a forensic imagery analyst with Contested Ground, told Reuters.
In the February 17, medium-resolution image, 11 large, swept-wing aircraft were visible, according to a Reuters tally.
Asked for comment, the Pentagon said it had "nothing to provide". The U.S. military does not usually comment on force movements.
The Saudi government's media office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Oman, which is mediating between the United States and Iran, said the sides made progress in talks on Thursday, though there was no sign of a breakthrough that could avert potential U.S. strikes.
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi said on Thursday the sides plan to resume negotiations soon after consultations in their countries' capitals, with technical-level discussions scheduled to take place next week in Vienna.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on February 19 that Iran must make a deal in 10 to 15 days, warning that "really bad things" would otherwise happen.
A comparison of satellite imagery in early February with those taken in January also showed a build-up of aircraft and other military equipment across the region.
Recent satellite images have also shown Iran repairing and fortifying sites, including a sensitive military site reportedly bombed by Israel in 2024.
(Additional reporting by Marine Delrue in Barcelona, Idrees Ali in Washington and Maha El Dahan in Dubai; Writing by Edmund Blair and Tom Perry; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
