May 17, 2023
The Biden administration
proposed to Israel a few weeks ago the idea of engaging in joint military
planning concerning Iran, three U.S. and Israeli officials told Axios.
Why it matters: U.S. officials say the
proposal is unprecedented and could significantly upgrade U.S.-Israeli military
cooperation.
·
Yes, but: Israeli
officials have so far treated the proposal with suspicion, fearing it is an
attempt to “tie Israel's hands” from taking action against Iran — especially
its nuclear facilities — if the U.S. objects.
·
A U.S. official
stressed that the proposal is "not about planning any kind of joint
U.S.-Israeli strike against Iran’s nuclear program."
Behind the scenes: U.S. officials said the
proposal came up during recent visits to Israel by chair of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff Gen. Mark Milley, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and CENTCOM
commander Gen. Erik Kurilla.
·
Israel didn’t reject
the idea but asked for clarifications regarding what “joint military planning”
actually means in practice, including whether this process stays in the realm
of intelligence and scenarios or extends into the realm of joint operations, a
senior Israeli official said.
A U.S. official said the
proposal was meant as a
reassurance of U.S. military backing to Israel and wasn’t meant in any way to
tie Israel’s hands.
·
The U.S. official
added that such joint planning means that each side shares its plans for
different contingencies and both sides can discuss ways to better deal with
different scenarios that could develop regarding Iran’s activities in the
region.
Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. Phillip Ventura
said that senior Defense Department leaders "have made repeated public statements
regarding our interest in expanding military cooperation with the Israeli
Defense Forces, to include by increasing joint participation in military
training exercises in order to improve interoperability and promote a common
understanding of regional security challenges."
·
He added that
"the relationship between the U.S. and Israeli militaries is extremely
close, and our commitment to Israel’s security remains ironclad."
·
The IDF did not
respond to requests for comment.
What they are saying: White House national
security adviser Jake Sullivan tried to calm Israeli concerns in a speech at
the Washington Institute for Near East Policy two weeks ago.
·
“We have made clear
to Iran that it can never be permitted to obtain a nuclear weapon. As President
Biden has repeatedly reaffirmed, he will take the actions that are necessary to
stand by this statement, including by recognizing Israel’s freedom of
action," he said.
State of play: The White House recently
announced that the U.S. military will bolster its defensive posture in the Gulf
due to what it called increasing harassment of commercial ships by Iranian navy
vessels.
·
The U.S. Navy’s
Fifth Fleet also announced it was working to increase the rotation of ships and
aircraft that patrol the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route in the region.
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