Israeli fighter jets fly near Iran in show of force, US officials say

Axios: Dozens of Israeli fighter jets flew near Iran in a show of force; US officials say Israel may have sought to provoke Tehran

The US news site Axios, citing Israeli and American officials, reported that dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets conducted a flight last Monday that reached the Iranian border, more than 1,300 kilometers from Israel.

According to the sources, the operation involved dozens of fighter jets and refueling aircraft, following a route that mirrored a potential strike on Iran via Syrian and Iraqi airspace, before turning back to Israel as they neared the Iranian border.

The report said Israel had informed the United States in advance, describing the operation as a training exercise aimed at "showing force" and deterring Iran from launching attacks ahead of Israel's elections scheduled for October 27. However, some US officials indicated they believed Israel hoped Iranian forces would fire on the jets, providing justification for retaliatory strikes against Iran, noting that Israeli officials knew Iran's air defenses would detect the flight.

The operation coincided with a visit by US Defense Secretary Beit Higseith to Israel and his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ovda Airbase, though sources said the flight was not linked to the visit.

Axios previously reported that Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump discussed the possibility of launching a major new operation against Iran in early October, ahead of both Israeli and US elections, but Trump ultimately decided against the proposal.

In related remarks on Wednesday, Netanyahu said Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, "has chosen to follow in his father's footsteps" and allowed Iranian scientists to continue building a nuclear weapon. He added: "There is only one way to eliminate this threat for good: overthrowing the regime in Iran, and that is the directive I have given to the army, Mossad, and security agencies."