Middle East Monitor / August 31, 2023
Israel and the United States are scheduled to conduct a series of collaborative military drills in the upcoming months, reported The Times of Israel.
One of the training scenarios involves a simulated joint Israeli-US assault on Iran’s nuclear installations. Both countries have expressed concern over Tehran’s nuclear program since former US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the nuclear deal which set limits on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
The report adds that another drill training session is designed to equip Israel for the possibility of countering a multi-front missile assault. For this exercise, US forces are anticipated to bring an extensive array of Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries and various interceptor systems to Israel.
According to The Times of Israel, a spokesperson for the military declined to comment on the specifics of the upcoming drills, stating only that the army regularly conducts collaborative drills with the US.
It comes after cooperation between the Israeli and American militaries was on display last month during the “Juniper Oak” air forces training exercise, the largest-ever joint exercise held by the two militaries.
The Israeli army also took part in a month-long military exercise called “Chariots of Fire” with the US military earlier this year, which included an “Iran aerial exercise” which simulated a wide-ranging regional conflict.
The drills come as over 10,000 reservists who regularly report for duty voluntarily have declared their intention to stop doing so in protest of the coalition government’s judicial overhaul. Numerous reservists say they do not want to serve in an “undemocratic” Israel, a potential outcome they associate with the government’s proposed changes.
The Israeli military is worried that its preparedness for battle could be harmed if more protesting reservists follow through with their promises.
