Faced with the looming threat of a major regional war, the United States yesterday agreed to a massive $20 billion arms sale to Israel.
Israel deliberately provokes conflict with Iran and its allies in the region. For example, on July 31, it assassinated Hamas’s top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, just hours after killing Hezbollah’s top military leader, Fuad Shukr, in Beirut.
The sale includes more than 50 F-15 fighter jets, advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAMs), 120mm tank ammunition, high-explosive mortars and tactical vehicles. The package also includes upgrade kits to re-equip Israel’s existing fleet of two dozen F-15 fighter jets, including new engines and radars.
In announcing the arms sale, the US State Department stated: “The United States is committed to Israel’s security, and it is critical to US national interests to assist Israel in developing and maintaining a strong and ready self-defense capability. The new weapons are not defensive in nature and will greatly enhance Israel’s ability to wage a major war.”
The fact that the bulk of the weapons package is aimed at massively expanding and modernizing the Israeli Air Force shows that the US and Israel are preparing for conflict across the Middle East. The Israeli Air Force, which already has overwhelming air superiority in the region, demonstrated its ability to conduct long-range operations last month with strikes on the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah. The attacks targeted facilities allegedly used by the Iran-backed Houthi militias.
While the delivery of the new F-15 fighter jets could take years if they were built from scratch by Boeing, in the event of a regional war, the US would find ways to speed up the process. The US has reportedly already supplied the Israeli military with artillery shells from the US War Reserves Stock based in Israel. Established in 1984 by Allies-Israel, the War Reserves Stock is a massive US weapons depot that includes ammunition, smart bombs, missiles and military vehicles and is accessible at six different locations across Israel.
In addition to the arms sale, the US Navy has also accelerated the transit of a second aircraft carrier, which USS Abraham Lincolnand the associated Marine strike group to the Middle East. The USS Abraham Lincoln, Equipped with F-35C fighter jets, the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group that is already in the region. USS Georgia Another guided missile submarine is to join the armada.
In another sign of preparations for a regional war, the State Department confirmed on Monday that the United States would resume offensive weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, lifting a symbolic three-year ban imposed in response to Saudi Arabia’s atrocities in the war against Iran-aligned Houthi militias in Yemen. “Saudi Arabia has remained a close strategic partner of the United States and we look forward to further expanding that partnership,” spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
The entire Middle East is on the brink of war. Iran on Monday flatly rejected a call from Britain, France and Germany for “Iran and its allies to refrain from attacks that would further escalate regional tensions and jeopardize the possibility of agreeing to a ceasefire (in Gaza) and the release of the hostages.”
The utter hypocrisy of the US and its NATO allies was evident in a phone call between newly installed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. As reported by the official IRNA news agency, Pezeshkian told Starmer that the West’s silence on the “unprecedented inhuman crime” in Gaza and Israeli attacks in the Middle East was “irresponsible” and encouraged Israel to jeopardise regional and global security.
In reality, the fascist Israeli regime has repeatedly shown its disdain for ceasefire negotiations while waging its genocidal war in Gaza, which has cost the lives of at least 40,000 men, women and children. The assassination of senior Hamas politician Haniyeh was designed to sabotage any ceasefire negotiations. Neither the United States nor any of its allies has condemned the killing. The next round of talks, due to begin tomorrow, is almost certain to fail.
In a provocation aimed at further inflaming tensions in the Middle East, far-right Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Monday led hundreds of his followers in violating long-standing protocols by singing Jewish hymns and performing religious rituals on the grounds of Al-Aqsa Mosque – Islam’s third holiest site. He firmly opposed any ceasefire negotiations, declaring: “We must win and not go to the talks in Doha or Cairo.”
Responding to the European powers’ appeal, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said: “Such demands lack any political logic, are completely contrary to the principles and rules of international law and represent an excessive demand.
“It is necessary to punish Israel,” he said, but added: “Tehran is not interested in an escalation of regional conflicts.”
In April, Israel carried out a provocative attack on the Iranian embassy in the Syrian capital Damascus, killing two senior generals of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and at least five military officers. Under international law, the embassy is considered Iranian territory. The Iranian response was aimed at avoiding escalation: Iran’s missiles and drones were aimed at an Israeli air base and were telegraphed to Washington in advance, allowing the US, Israel and other allies to shoot down most of those missiles.
However Iran responds to the latest provocations, the Israeli military is on high alert and preparing for an offensive. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Monday: “We have devoted our time to both strengthening defense and creating offensive response options, and also launching an initiative anywhere and in any region if necessary.”
Also on Monday, Israel’s Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, held a meeting with senior military and intelligence officers where battle plans for “the various fronts” were approved. According to a military statement, “the Chief of Staff stressed the continuation of high readiness and assessment efforts for attack and defense.”
Under the guise of empty calls for de-escalation, the US and its allies are undoubtedly holding talks with their Israeli counterparts to coordinate their war plans.
