Press TV – October 11, 2013
As Iran and the six major world powers prepare to hold a fresh round of talks over the country’s nuclear energy program, Israel has held a “special long-range flight exercise” in its latest act of provocation against Tehran.
The Israeli military said Thursday that the Air Force fighter squadrons conducted war games this week testing their capability to carry out long range missions..
The forces practiced air-to-air refueling of planes and dogfights against foreign combat planes.
Tel Aviv also posted footage of the drill online as Iran and the five permanent UN Security Council members – Russia, China, France, Britain and the US – plus Germany prepare to hold negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland, on October 15 and 16.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly session earlier this month, Netanyahu threatened unilateral military action against Iran to dismantle the Islamic Republic’s civilian nuclear facilities.
He repeated his baseless accusation that Tehran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, saying, “If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.”
The United States, Israel, and some of their allies accuse Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.
Iran rejects the allegations, arguing that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
Tehran has also promised a crushing response to any act of aggression against the country.