Israel’s recent navy mobilization through the Suez Canal represents a major initiative to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, according to officials first report in the Times of London. Any Israeli strike on Iran would require war ships to pass through the Suez and also include fly-overs of either Iraq or Saudi Arabia. While the U.S. government would likely forbid the use of Iraqi airspace, reports last month indicated that Saudi officials met with Israeli officials to approve a flight plan over Saudi Arabia. The IDF deliberately publicized these developments in order to warn Iran of the capabilities of the military and Israel’s willingness to use force. According to an Israeli official quoted in the paper,
“This is preparation that should be taken seriously. Israel is investing time in preparing itself for the complexity of an attack on Iran. These manoeuvres are a message to Iran that Israel will follow up on its threats.”
The Obama Administration seeks dialogue with Iran but indicated that a change in posture by the radical regime must occur by the end of the year. However, the Iranian regime repeatedly rebuffed overtures by the U.S. government and will likely maintain its current position on the United States. Further, in a highly publicized speech yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Iran that it must immediately change its position towards dialogue and that the United States would not wait indefinitely for a response to its requests to negotiate. She stated,
“Iran can become a constructive actor in the region if it stops threatening its neighbors and supporting terrorism. It can assume a responsible position in the international community if it fulfills its obligations on human rights. The choice is clear. We remain ready to engage with Iran, but the time for action is now. The opportunity will not remain open indefinitely.”
Separately, the IDF tested its Arrow defense system in conjunction with the U.S. military earlier this week. The anti-ballistic missile succeeded in its first long-range test, publicized as an assessment of the feasibility of destroying an Iranian missile shortly after launch.