Israel has warned US and European allies of its intention to strike Iran and its nuclear program if Tehran’s uranium enrichment exceeds 60%. This was reported by the US portal Axios News, referring to the words of a senior, but unnamed, Israeli official.
The source stressed that Tel Aviv was not going to wait “for the ayatollahs to have a bomb”. Therefore, Israel does not want the “red line” to be 90% enrichment and will take action if necessary.
The media has also drawn attention to the fact that the administration of US President Joe Biden has said it prefers not to clash, coordinate actions against Iran and promote normalization agreements. Thus, Washington opposes excessive belligerence and is preparing to engage in dialogue with Tehran.
In turn, Israel asked the United States to expedite the delivery of the equipment needed for aerial refueling. In response, the Pentagon assured Israeli allies that the Americans were trying to get it to them as soon as possible.
The Israeli Air Force badly needs previously ordered tanker planes, which are not enough to support the strike on Iranian territory. We are talking about four units of strategic aerial tankers Boeing KC – 46A Pegasus with a total value of about 1 billion dollars, which can carry out aerial refueling, including F – 35 fighters over long distances.
The Israeli army has been waiting for several years for the appearance of a promising American tanker aircraft, which took off in September 2015, at its disposal. However, American experts have identified many problems with this aircraft. By 2021, the development of the Boeing KC – 46A Pegasus, created on the basis of the Boeing 767-200ER, has already cost the manufacturer 9.5 billion dollars, but so far the aircraft normally cannot fulfill its main function, and therefore its serial production and deliveries to the US Air Force have been postponed until the end of the 2024 financial year.
As part of the Israeli Air Force, the latest Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft are expected to replace 8-10 units of Boeing 707 airliners (KC-707 Saknai) currently being converted (converted) into tanker aircraft tactics. In total, Tel Aviv wants to receive 8 units of Boeing KS – 46A Pegasus worth 2.4 billion dollars (including spare parts, a training package and technical support), moreover, in the framework of the FMS program, that is to say at the expense of American military assistance, to close its needs. All this indicates that until the Israeli Air Force has these tanker planes, it will be difficult to independently carry out a large-scale air raid (attack) against Iran.
