Posted on 08/08/2012 10:50:44 PM PDT by tsowellfan
Saudi Arabia will not permit Israeli aircraft to cross its territory on the way to strike Iran, Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Thursday. The message was passed to Jerusalem via Obama administration officials during recent talks in Israel.
Senior Israeli officials reportedly see the move as a warning message from the US not to launch a unilateral strike, according to the paper .
Saudi Arabia is supplied with US military equipment and aircraft, and some estimate that if an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities were carried out in cooperation with the US, Saudi Arabia would permit an overflight.
But if Israel acts alone, Riyadh told the US it would intercept any Israeli plane that tried to cross its territory on the way to Iran.
If Israel were to strike Iran, the logistical obstacles are formidable, as the New York Times reported in February. It is estimated that Israel would have to use at least 100 planes to strike Iran’s four main nuclear sites, and travel over 1,000 miles over hostile territory to reach them.
Netanyahu reportedly prefers the US to lead, or at least help in a possible strike on Iran
The closing of Saudi Arabian airspace removes from Israel’s options one potential route to get to Iran, but others exist: north over Turkey, or straight east through Jordan and Iraq. However it is unclear whether those countries would allow Israel to use its airspace as well.
US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, in Israel last week, said that “all options” were on the table for dealing with a potential Iranian nuclear weapon, including the military option.
“If they continue and if they proceed with a nuclear weapon,” he said, “we have options that we are prepared to implement to ensure that that does not happen.”
The US, though, has expended much effort trying to hold Israel back from a unilateral strike, saying there is still time for diplomacy and sanctions to thwart Tehran’s nuclear plans.
New US intelligence report shows Iran moving closer to nuclear weapon
Haaretz reports that official estimate, which pulls back 2007 claim that Iran had halted weaponization program, beings Washington in line with Israel
By Allah, we tried to launch our aircraft against the hated Jews, but they must have whistled up a powerful djinn to ground our fighter planes, as none were able to take off. So sorry, your excellency!
That doesn’t make sense. The Saudis are all for Israel denuking Iran.
Exactly. The Arab Saudis despise the Persian Iranians. Sunni versus Shi’ite.
“Netanyahu reportedly prefers the US to lead, or at least help in a possible strike on Iran”
Bibi can’t be stupid enough to believe the muslim-in-chief would do that, can he?
Which will be on an exercise in Texas when Israel attacks Iran. Oops!
I think he means President Romney.
Upgrades to older models will start in mid- to late 2014, and delivery of the new aircraft will begin in early 2015, according to the State Department.
It’s noisy blather for public consumption to create cover for SA. No Israeli flights will be stopped and SA will, too late, raise a meaningless ruckus.
Snoopy versus the Red Baron
It all depends on who is playing who and what time of day it is. They probably would prefer Israel and Iran to annihilate themselves. And also for the west and east to annihilate ourselves. And with the current leaders the west and east have, it's just a matter of time.
Here’s an idea for Israel....wipe Saudi Arabia out on your WAY to Iran.
And what a shame it will be when the IAF destroys them all. We'll just have to sell them 84 more!
Aw, jeez. I guess the Israelis will have to use the nuclear cruise missiles stored on their submarines, instead.
They and who’s Air Force?
Oh, wait! Ours.
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