Israeli warplanes turn back near Iran border

Dozens of Israeli fighter jets and refuelling aircraft flew over Syria and Iraq towards the Iranian border on Monday but turned back without entering Iranian airspace, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing US and Israeli sources.

Israel had informed the United States in advance, describing the flight as a military exercise and a deterrent to prevent Iran from launching an attack ahead of Israel’s elections.

However, some US officials suspected Israel hoped Iranian forces would fire at the aircraft, providing a pretext for fresh strikes. Iran did not fire any shots or missiles.

Earlier, the Financial Times reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had sought US President Donald Trump’s approval for fresh strikes on Iran earlier this month, but Trump declined, reportedly seeking to avoid a conflict ahead of the US midterm elections.

Source: Axios

-AJM