A major Israeli Air Force exercise continued into its second week, refocusing attention on what the Washington Post last week called “an apparent message to Iran” that the Jewish state – which has committed to preventing the Islamic republic from succeeding in what is widely seen as a drive to acquire nuclear weapons – was capable of militarily degrading Iranian nuclear assets.

The Jerusalem Post described the drills:

Last week the army issued some of its most explicit warnings over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program to date, releasing video images of IAF jets conducting midair refueling far from Israel… The preparations are aimed at giving the air force the ability to carry out both broad and pinpoint long-range missions.

Recent polling indicates that large majorities of Israelis would support unilateral military action against Iran if it became necessary to prevent the country from going nuclear.

In line with the assessments of U.S.-based analysts and senators, the Israelis have emphasized that any deal with Iran must put nuclear weapons beyond the regime’s reach by forcing Tehran to export its enriched nuclear material and to cease uranium enrichment and plutonium-related activity.

[Photo: IAF magazine / YouTube]