THE MIDDLE EAST, Apr. 21 – Multiple Israeli Air Force pilots have been told to prepare for “longer working hours” if fighting with Iran breaks out again, according to exclusive information obtained by Faytuks News, a sign that Israeli planners assess renewed confict as the current ceasefire’s expiration draws closer.
The guidance, relayed to pilots in recent days, underscored a sense of urgency, with some saying they do not know how much time remains if fighting resumes, according to sources. The message reflects concern inside Israel’s military and intelligence establishment that any renewed conflict could require a sustained air campaign rather than a short round of strikes.
The move recalls the period before the Feb. 28 launch of the U.S.-Israeli operation against Iran, when preparations were already underway well before the first public announcements. Reuters later reported that the operation had been coordinated in advance and that Israeli officials were already framing the campaign in terms of weeks, not days.
The latest warning comes at a tense moment. President Donald Trump said April 21 that he does not want to extend the current truce, while Reuters reported that the future of talks remained uncertain as the ceasefire deadline approaches.
Iran has also hardened its public position. Iranian state-linked media, cited by Reuters, reported April 19 that Tehran had made no decision to send a negotiating delegation to Pakistan as long as a naval blockade remained in force. That stance helps explain why diplomats have struggled to turn the pause in fighting into a broader agreement. Meanwhile, the U.S. delegation, expected to depart for Pakistan on Tuesday morning, instead travelled to Washington, D.C.
Taken together, the warning to pilots and the diplomatic deadlock suggest both sides are still preparing for the possibility that the fighting could restart with little notice. For Israel, that means making sure aircrews and support units are ready for a heavier operational tempo. For the wider region, it is another sign that the ceasefire may be only a brief pause in a conflict that has already proved difficult to contain.
