Israeli media: Israel is preparing to practice striking at the facilities of Iran's nuclear program
Preparations with simulated strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities will take some time. Strike plans will be created and adjusted depending on the operational situation.
Preparation of each individual event can take from several months to a year or more. In between operations, the Air Force will continue to carry out targeted raids on the locations of the so-called Iranian proxies in Syria.
The Israeli online edition "The Times of Israel" reports on the preventive preparatory measures. There are no recent facts at the heart of the publication. There is a reference to the previously voiced intentions in the leadership of the IDF: Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi allegedly gave an order to begin a new stage in the preparation of units focused on participating in the anti-Iranian operation. The position of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was also indicated, who at the recent UN General Assembly warned about Israel's readiness to take independent actions to eliminate the facilities of the Iranian nuclear program.
The reason for such decisions is the policy of Tehran, which, after the US withdrawn from the Joint Comprehensive Action Plan (JCPOA), initiated the resumption of uranium production using centrifuges. It is emphasized that Israel to the last adhered to the framework of the JCPOA, postponing its plan to bomb the previously planned Iranian targets. The deadlocked negotiations with Iran on the part of the international community and the uncertainty of further prospects for a settlement are forcing the leadership of the Israel Self-Defense Forces to take measures in advance. The thesis that the Iranian nuclear bomb poses an "existential threat" to Israel remains on the list of priorities in guiding action.
To practice delivering strikes on the territory of another state, the IDF needs not only the political support of the country's leadership. The Times of Israel refers to a decision of the Israeli government recorded last week, thanks to which “billions of shekels” were allocated for the implementation of the army's plans. It is clear that the Air Force cannot undertake such a responsible mission without proper preparation - and therefore the flight training schedule will be changed.
Israeli pilots will need special skills in practicing overcoming Iranian air defenses, air combat tactics in foreign airspace and delivering specific ammunition designed to destroy underground targets. A separate topic is preparation for a likely retaliatory strike against Israel from Iran.
The pilots of the Israeli Air Force are partially practicing certain tactics during air attacks on the positions of Hezbollah paramilitary units in the Golan Heights, thereby preventing the creation of a permanent base of operations there. Some practice has also accumulated as a result of the targeted actions of the Israeli Air Force in several provinces of Syria. However, each time it becomes more difficult to do this: Iran allegedly supplies Syria with modernized weapons and air defense systems to protect facilities from air attacks.
According to the data available in "The Times of Israel"Tehran is actively promoting its modernized air defense systems not only in Syria - but also in Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. Despite the absence of confirmed incidents of shelling by the Israeli military aviation directly with Iranian missiles, Iran's updated weapons pose a threat to Israel's future plans, both in Syria and in plans against Iran.
In any case, for the remaining time until the end of 2021, the Israeli Air Force has promised to deliver no fewer strikes in Syria than last year (according to unofficial estimates, we are talking about the number of almost 50 targets hit). Against the background of such statements, the publication "The Times of Israel" mentions the position of the Russian authorities, which allegedly will not hinder "Israel's efforts against the presence of Iran in Syria."
This publication in the Israeli media is more like probing the ground - a desire to provoke a reaction to possible training of the Israeli Air Force on actions directed against the Iranian nuclear program.
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