Citing senior Israeli officials, Axios reported on Wednesday that Israel does not want to set 90% enrichment as a “red line” because Iran may start enriching and stockpiling uranium at a level slightly below that needed to produce a nuclear weapon.
“The Iranians totally internalized our position and they know what our [red] line is,” the official said, as quoted by the outlet.
It was further reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to expedite the delivery of Boeing KC-46 refueling and strategic military transport aircraft, which were purchased by Tel Aviv last year, to prepare for possible military action against Iran.
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons, stressing its nuclear technology is solely for civil purposes.
Iranian officials have stressed the country reserves the right to respond to any adventurism by the United States and Israel. Tehran says Israel is well aware of Iran’s capabilities and capacities and its own limited capabilities as well as the fact that the Islamic Republic does not compromise or joke about its national security.
In early February 2022, KAN reported a US military official was present during an Israeli simulated drill preparing for an assault on Iranian nuclear facilities using dozens of warplanes.
Held in mid-January, the classified exercise envisioned a “massive” strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities and played out multiple scenarios, including mid-air refueling, responding to anti-aircraft munitions, and performing long-range attacks.
In late December 2021, Iran simulated an attack on the Zionist regime’s nuclear facilities known as Dimona during extensive military drills.
Iran has stressed that the recent wargames were intended to send a warning to Israel.
Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami stated after the exercises that Iran will cut off the hands of enemies if they make a wrong move and that the distance between actual operations and military exercises is only a change in the angle of launching the missiles.
Major General Mohammad Bagheri has also noted the exercise made it clear that Israel’s Iron Dome system can be defeated and penetrated if a barrage of missiles is fired from different directions at a target at once.
The top Iranian general described the drill as one of Iran’s most successful military exercises.
Iran’s ballistic missiles have a range of 2,000 km and the entire occupied Palestine and US bases in the region are within their reach.
