Tankers didn't refuel Israeli jets in anti-Iran drills: CENTCOM
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US CENTCOM Spokesperson says US tankers are not taking part in Israeli drills to strike Iran.
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Some Israeli media outlets had reported that the US military was taking part in the maneuvers for the first time.
A spokesperson for US Central Command (CENTCOM) told The War Zone that there is no connection between a US Air Force refueling training flight spotted off the coast of occupied Palestine and the Israeli maneuvers aimed at simulating an attack on Iran.
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli media outlets reported that the US military was taking part in the exercises for the first time.
However, the spokesperson, Army Colonel Joe Buccino, said this flight was not tied to the Israeli "Chariots of Fire" exercises.
American tankers are reportedly taking part in the Israeli military’s Chariots of Fire drill. As part of the drill simulating a prolonged multi-front military campaign, the IAF will practice striking targets far from its borders (ie.Iran) https://t.co/jPqGq7CEnV
— Anna Ahronheim (@AAhronheim) May 18, 2022
A number of tweets suggested a link between the two events; however, CENTCOM's Spokesperson said the timing was only coincidental.
“We routinely do these kinds of operations with partners in the region,” Buccino said. “For us, this kind of training builds interoperability and familiarity with partnered forces," further adding that the exercise involved a dry refueling of two US Air Force F-15s and four Israeli Air Force F-16s.
When asked whether the US military would help "Israel" with refueling if it were to attack Iran, Buccino declined to comment, saying, "Any war plans involving such things are classified."
CENTCOM Commander visiting "Israel"
Suspicions regarding the US' involvement in the Israeli maneuvers are popping up amid a visit to "Israel" by the recently-appointed CENTCOM commander, General Michael Kurilla, who is coming to "observe" the "Chariots of Fire" maneuvers.
LTG Aviv Kohavi and the IDF General Staff Forum led an honor guard to receive the new @CENTCOM Commander, General Michael Kurilla, this morning.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 18, 2022
As part of his visit, the General will observe the IDF’s "Chariots of Fire" Exercise. pic.twitter.com/uMgSxJC2PR
One of the weaknesses of the Israeli military is that it is not able to provide enough fuel to sustain a major campaign against Iran. The New York Times reported last year that the US government declined "Israel's" request to speed up the delivery of new refuelers. This means that "Israel" has to make additional calculations when evaluating the risks of an attack on Iran with a relatively small refueling fleet that consists of seven Boeing 707-based tankers, three of which were retired.
