In a precedent-setting move, Israel allowed an American military officer to participate in an Air Force exercise simulating an air-strike on long-range targets, including targets in Iran, Kan News reported.
The exercise was conducted about two weeks ago against the background of the ongoing nuclear talks in Vienna and included dozens of aircraft.
A senior U.S. State Department official said last night in a briefing to reporters that the window of opportunity for talks regarding a possible return to the nuclear deal was running out. "We are in the final stretch because, as we’ve said now for some time, this can’t go on forever because of Iran’s nuclear advances. This is not a prediction. It’s not a threat. It’s not an artificial deadline. It’s just a requirement that we’ve conveyed indirectly to Iran and to all our P5+1 partners for some time, which is that given the pace of Iran’s advances, its nuclear advances, we only have a handful of weeks left to get a deal, after which point it will unfortunately be no longer possible to return to the JCPOA and to recapture the nonproliferation benefits that the deal provided for us."
The inclusion of an American officer in an exercise which foreigners are not normally allowed to see is significant. In doing so, the IDF demonstrated its capabilities to strike Iran to the US military.
The training reportedly included several scenarios, including aerial refueling, attacking a long-range target and dealing with surface-to-air missiles.