According to the Israel Defense Forces, the fighter jets accompanied two B-1B heavy bombers and an American KC-10 refueling jet through Israeli airspace as they headed west from the Persian Gulf.
“The joint flight demonstrates our continued cooperation, which is crucial to the security of Israel and the Middle East,” the IDF said in a statement.
The Israeli military shared photographs of the flight, showing the American bombers — capable of carrying heavy bunker-buster bombs that would be needed for a strike on Iran’s largely underground nuclear facilities — alongside the Israeli F-15 jets.
Late last month, Israeli F-15s escorted a B-1B bomber as it made its way to the Gulf.
The escort missions come as Israeli and American officials have increasingly threatened to act against Tehran’s nuclear program, ahead of the resumption of indirect talks with Iran aimed at reviving the 2015 nuclear deal, known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. READ MORE
