February
20, 2023
Britain's
government said Monday it has summoned Iran's top diplomat in the U.K. after
journalists based in the country were targeted for intimidation by Tehran.
The
Foreign Office said its Middle East director Vijay Rangarajan met with Iranian
Chargé d’Affaires Mehdi Hosseini Matin to “make clear the U.K. will not
tolerate threats to life and media freedom."
“I
am appalled by the Iranian regime’s continuing threats to the lives of
U.K.-based journalists and have today summoned its representative to make clear
this will not be tolerated," Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said in a
statement.
On
Saturday, Iran International, a Farsi-language TV news channel based in London,
said it had moved its broadcasts to Washington to protect its journalists after
British police told it about “serious and immediate threats” to the safety of
Iranian journalists.
Iran
International said "threats had grown to the point that it was felt it was
no longer possible to protect the channel’s staff” or the public around its
studio in London.
The
Metropolitan Police said authorities had foiled “15 plots since the start of
2022 to either kidnap or even kill British or U.K.-based individuals perceived
as enemies of the regime,” without elaborating.
The
BBC has separately filed a complaint to the United Nations saying there were
increased security concerns for journalists working for its Persian service
"in light of extraterritorial threats.”
The
Foreign Office also said Monday that it was imposing new sanctions against
Iranian officials for human rights violations. Those sanctioned included three
senior judges for imposing death penalties on protesters, and five commanders
of Iran's Revolutionary Guards.
Britain
has imposed sanctions on more than 50 Iranian individuals and entities since
September, when the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini following her arrest by
the Islamic Republic’s morality police triggered a wave of protests and a
violent crackdown by Tehran.
Senior Boeing official in Israel to push sale of advanced F-15 jets for Iran strike
February
20, 2023
Ted
Colbert meets PM Netanyahu and defense minister Gallant, says trip shows firm’s
commitment to supporting ‘long arm of Israel,’ with F-15IA jets and KC-46
tankers
The chief
of the Boeing aircraft manufacturer’s defense wing was in Israel on Sunday and
Monday to advance the supply of new, long-awaited refueling planes and fighter
jets for the Israeli Air Force looking to boost its capabilities to strike
Iran.
Speaking
to reporters at the Boeing Israel offices in Tel Aviv, Ted Colbert, the Boeing
Defense, Space and Security President and CEO said the company would be
supplying Israel with 25 F-15IA fighter jets — the Israeli variant of the
advanced F-15EX — with options for 25 more.
The
military is looking to both add to and upgrade its existing fleet of F-15s,
which can carry the kind of heavy weapons Israel would need to penetrate Iran’s
nuclear sites, most of which are buried deep underground.
Colbert
said the payload capability of the F-15EX is “unmatchable,” and combined with
the range of the KC-46 refueling planes, it would “support the long arm of
Israel.”
According
to Boeing, the new F-15 “carries more weapons than any other fighter in its
class, and can launch hypersonic weapons up to 22 feet long and weigh up to
7,000 pounds.”
Colbert
said the company hopes to eventually replace all of Israel’s aging F-15I fleet,
provided Israel decides to move ahead with procuring more.
“My visit
is about making sure that it is absolutely and positively clear that we remain
committed to serving Israel, and that is expressed through the two big programs
with the government of Israel and military, the F-15IA and the KC-46,” he said.
“We
believe those represent the right capabilities to support the long arm of
Israel, to support the missions today and the future,” Colbert said, in an
apparent reference to a potential strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
In
January, Israel sent a formal request to the United States to purchase the new
F-15 fighters.
Colbert
met Sunday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and on Monday with Defense
Minister Yoav Gallant to discuss the supply of the F-15 jets and KC-46 tankers,
and other general matters.
There is
no timeline yet, but the earliest Israel would likely receive the new jets
would be in 2028. Israel is expected to push for faster delivery. Colbert said
Boeing was working “as fast as it can” to supply the aircraft to Israel as soon
as possible.
Many of
Israel’s F-15 fighter jets — known in Hebrew as the “Baz,” or “Falcon” — were
first constructed and delivered in the 1970s, though they have been upgraded
and refurbished in the interim decades.
If the
deal goes through and Israel returns to purchasing F-15s, it would mark the
first Boeing fighter jet acquisition by the Israeli Air Force in two decades.
In the years since, Israel has bought 100 F-16s and another 50 F-35 stealth
jets from Boeing’s chief competitor, Lockheed Martin.
The first
of four KC-46 tankers, which Israel would need in order to conduct a strike in
Iran, is still scheduled to be delivered in 2025. Israel has asked that this
date be moved up — which would require the US to give up its spot in line to
receive planes from Boeing — but Washington has thus far rejected the request.
The
multi-role aircraft makes mid-air refueling possible for fighter jets and other
aircraft, but can also be used for military transport.
For
Israel, the aircraft are seen as necessary to conduct potential major strikes
against targets in Iran, some 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from Israel and
far outside the normal flight range of Israeli jets.
The KC-46
aircraft are to replace the Israeli Air Force’s current fleet of aging
refueling planes, which includes KC-130 Hercules and converted Boeing 707s.
Under an
agreement last year, Israel has the option to purchase four more KC-46 planes
in the future as well.
The first
KC-46 was delivered to the US Air Force in 2019 and the service has ordered 179
of the planes, set to be delivered by 2027.
In a
series of farewell interviews last month, outgoing IDF chief of staff Aviv
Kohavi reiterated that Iran was the main focus of the Israeli military, which
was working to ensure it had the capabilities to go it alone if necessary to
stop Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
In light
of the growing uncertainty regarding a return by Iran to the 2015 nuclear deal
with Western powers, the past two years have seen the IDF ramp up efforts to
prepare a credible military threat against Tehran’s nuclear sites.
Israel
has been pushing for the US to prepare military contingency plans in order to
prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. US President Joe Biden has said
he is prepared to use military force if necessary but still prefers to exhaust
the diplomatic route first.
No comments:
Post a Comment