Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News
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The United States military on Thursday will wrap its three-day joint training with Israeli fighting forces, an air-driven training focused on the two nations’ potential responses to threats against Israel.
As first reported by Stars and Stripes, the maneuvers began Tuesday and involved the American and Israeli air forces.
“They are exercising fighter escort and aerial refueling,” Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement. “This is a long-planned exercise and it’s also not something that’s unusual.”
According to a statement from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), which was published by The Times of Israel, part of the training centered on simulating attacks against Iran.
“Fighter jets and refuelers from the IAF and the U.S. Air Force will take part in the exercise and simulate a number of scenarios in the face of regional threats,” the statement reads.
The Times also published comments from IDF chief Aviv Kohavi, who spoke of additional joint training sessions in the future and Israel’s goal to protect itself against aggression from Iran in particular.
“In order to improve our capabilities in the face of challenges in the region, joint activity with the U.S. Central Command will be significantly expanded in the near future,” Kohavi said. “At the same time, the IDF will continue to act at an accelerated rate against the entrenchment of the Iranian regime in the region.”
Iran has thus far been silent about the maneuvers, but it is hard to imagine a scenario in which Tehran would be pleased.
The war games were staged during a time of heated rhetoric between the U.S. and Iran, mostly stemming from the United States’ support of women and other Iranians who have, at the risk of their lives, engaged in lengthy protests against the Iranian government.
Nuclear negotiations between the two nations have been stalled for months. President Joe Biden has sought to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, an Obama-era agreement then-president Donald Trump ended during his term.
On Tuesday, the United States National Soccer Team defeated Iran 1-0 at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The win sent the U.S. to the Round of 16 and eliminated Iran from the tournament. The Iranian government reportedly threatened players and their families after the players stood silently during the national anthem as a sign of unity with protestors prior to their first match in the tournament.