The US and Israel on Thursday announced the conclusion of their largest-ever joint military exercises, known as Juniper Oak 23.
The drills were launched Monday and involved over 140 aircraft and nearly 8,000 troops from both militaries. The massive show of force was clearly a provocation toward Iran despite claims from US officials that it wasn’t aimed at any one country.
“US Central Command and the Israel Defense Forces concluded Juniper Oak 23.2, the largest US-Israel partnered exercise in history,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a press release.
CENTCOM said the drills included a live-fire exercise that involved “B52s, F35s, F15s, F16s, FA-18s, AC-130, AH64s, 12 naval assets, High Mobility Rocket Artillery Systems, Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, a mix of jet fighters, and long-range bombers.”
Besides sending a message to Iran, the massive exercise demonstrates that the US has Israel’s back in the region despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which has pledged to expand settlements in the West Bank and eventually annex the territory.
Netanyahu’s new government is also full of Iran hawks, including his national security advisor, Tzachi Hanegbi. Before the new government was formed, Hanegbi threatened that Netanyahu would attack Iran if the US doesn’t negotiate a stricter nuclear deal or take military action itself.
Both the US and Israel have been threatening military action against Iran to prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon. But the Pentagon acknowledged in its recent Nuclear Posture Review that Iran is not trying to build a nuclear bomb.
Juniper Oak came after Israel’s former army chief visited Washington DC in November and said upon his return that the two countries would expand joint military cooperation.
We can have nukes, Israel can have nukes but Iran is sh-t out of luck.
Sounds like a fair deal………..
Yes it is-Iran is determined to destroy Israel.
Good answer Jake. You didn’t have to dig far into your list of replies to come up with that one. It must be at the top of your list since you use it so often. No proof but who needs proof when you own the superpower.
Hate is an ugly thing-it destroys reason as well as decency.
Especially when that hate is exaggerated to the point of absurdity. Iran is going to hate Israel to death.
If hate could kill,it would.
Hate alone doesn’t so it won’t. But I’m sure you will continue on with your exaggerations while Israel continues with real terrorism and real hate that does kill.
Yes,and war is peace,freedomis slavery ect
Yeh… They’ve been trying to destroy Israel for the past two decades…! Why haven’t they yet…?! Oh yes, I know why…! They have been trying to make a nuclear bomb to destroy Israel with for the past two decades and they are inches away…!
What’s the next? Bombing more Palestinians? Like Gaza isn’t already hell on earth. Millions of people blaockaded in a tiny strip of land with not even functioning water and sewage for decades.
Very true and sad.And whose fault is that?-Christianity and Islam slaughtered and persecuted Diaspora Jewry,so they had to return and cut out a piece of land for themselves. My parents grew up in the US being treated as second class citizens,my grandparents experienced worse.
Meanwhile,whatever resources the Gazans have or get is squandered in useless violence and rhetoric-HAMAS opposed Oslo, and dreams of getting all of Israel as theirs.
Israel refused to recognize Hamas even though they preferred Hamas over Arafat and the PLO. And Hamas was legitimately elected.
Did you monitor their elections?Biden may possibly have been legitimately elected-look what he has done to this world-are you happy? Of course Hamas use of torture and pipe beatings,religious hate,hanging people it views as immoral or gay does not matter to you.Sending some naive sad kid with a petrol bomb against a sniper,so he gets his knee blown off and wins a few propaganda points for Hamas-you have some great heroes.
I believe Jimmy Carter did. And there you go again. I didn’t say a damn thing in praise of Hamas and I never have. But one must ask why would Israel prefer Hamas in the first place.
2 wrongs don’t make a right
The Zios are already doing a fine job assassinating the residents of the West Bank, including children and elderly women.
Way past time to examine this clusterf*ck known as “Israhell “.
Massive drill seems like is aimed toward invading a neighboring country such as Egypt or Jordan for more Land Grab versus a strategic air strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities…!
Of course. More pedestrisn goals. They got Lebanoon in a state of perpetual chaos, so this may be an easy grab. Israel troed in 2006 and was humiliated by Hezbollah. Land invasion had been bearen back. This time chances are better. Poor stupid Lebanon. Swolen heads, see no danger.
get back on this planet!
FIND ANOTHER NAME if you insist on performing this sh*tshow, f*cking Zionazis. How dare you desecrate the names of two sacred trees for your abominations.
F*CK ISRAHELL.
F*CK AMERIKKKA.
Nice rant Gypsy! We need world peace and we need it now, the sooner the better. Humans seems fated to making the same mistakes over and over again…
Why thank ye Donna!
I greatly fear that all of nature—-human, non-human, trees, bodies of water—-are soon to be obliterated thanks to THAT PERSON in the White House who worships ZelBoy and Nuttinyahoo. How the f*ck did this country get to the point where it’s presently at? Did “humanity” never learn its lesson? We (well, not us personally) support the most fascist regimes on the planet and confidently expect that nothing, absolutely nothing, could possibly go wrong.
Well, sorry Donna, I’m ranting again…thanks for listening !
What’s so funny with all this drill is that when D-Day comes, someone will fumble the operation.