Israel’s Air Force (IAF) has upgraded its military capabilities as tensions with Iran simmer over its nuclear program, the Jerusalem Post reported on Wednesday.
According to the report, Israel enhanced the capabilities of its F-35 stealth fighter jets to allow them to fly from Israel to Iran without needing to refuel mid-air.
The IAF also reportedly integrated a new bomb known as the ‘Adir’ into the arsenal of weapons used by F-35s.
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The bomb reportedly weighs one ton and can be “carried inside the plane’s internal weapons compartment without jeopardizing its stealth radar signature.”
It’s also resistant to jamming and electronic warfare systems.
Earlier in June, Israel’s army said that dozens of Israeli fighter jets conducted exercises over the Mediterranean and warships held Red Sea drills as it readies for different “scenarios” against Iran.
The drill was conducted during the “Chariots of Fire” exercise which was supposed to have been held in May 2021 based on the scenario of a conflict with the Palestinians, but it was postponed by an 11-day war with Gaza’s rulers Hamas.
Tensions have recently simmered between Iran and Israel over stalled efforts to revive a nuclear deal that aims to guarantee that Tehran will not develop nuclear weapons.
Israel had said it would prefer a diplomatic resolution to the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program but could take independent action, reiterating a long-standing veiled threat to launch preemptive war.
On Thursday, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi said Tehran “will not back off a single step” from its positions after the International Atomic Energy Agency passed a resolution against Iran.
The IAEA’s resolution is the first to criticize Iran since June 2020. It was approved by 30 members of the IAEA board of governors, with only Russia and China voting against it.
The resolution came after the Vienna-based IAEA raised concerns about traces of enriched uranium previously found at three sites Tehran had not declared as having hosted nuclear activities.
With Reuters
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