11-18-22 All Eyes on Israel and Iran

All Eyes on Israel and Iran :: By Geri Ungurean Published on: May 22, 2022 by RRadmin7 Category:General Articles, Geri Ungurean From foxnews.com: Iran Weeks Away from Acquiring Materials for First Nuclear Weapon, Israeli Defense Minister Says Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned that action is needed to keep Iran at bay. While the U.S. and Iran have so far failed to agree on terms for a new nuclear agreement, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned that the Islamic nation is just weeks away from having the necessary materials for a nuclear weapon. Gantz tweeted the claim in Hebrew when posting about remarks he delivered at Israel‘s Reichman University. The Jerusalem Post reported on the speech, relaying that Iran currently produces uranium at an enrichment level of 20% while already having 60 kilograms of 60% enriched material. Uranium enriched at a 90% level is needed for a weapon. “Iran continues to accumulate irreversible knowledge and experience in the development, research, production and operation of advanced centrifuges,” Gantz said during his address, stating that Iran is working on 1,000 new advanced centrifuges, including at an underground facility near Natanz. Gantz also said that Iran has been keeping inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency from accessing their systems. Gantz said a “multidimensional” international response is needed to prevent all-out war with Iran. “Today, the prices for tackling the Iranian challenge on the global and regional levels are higher than they were a year ago and lower than they will be within a year,” Gantz said. The defense minister noted that Iran has been making a number of other improvements to their military capabilities, “including cruise missiles, surface-to-surface missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles that have a range of thousands of kilometers.” A nuclear Iran could pose an existential threat to Israel as Iran’s leadership has threatened to destroy the Jewish state. Meanwhile. the Biden administration has been trying to enter into a new nuclear deal with Tehran, years after then-President Donald Trump withdrew from the international Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that critics said did not do enough to prevent an Iranian nuclear weapon in the long term or properly address their ballistic missile program. Iran has been calling for the U.S. to remove their Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from the State Department’s list of foreign terrorist organizations as part of any agreement. So far, the administration has resisted, as veterans, Gold Star families, and lawmakers in Washington, D.C. have warned not to do this. At the same time, Iranian leadership faces pressure from its own people, who have been protesting in response to a floundering economy. The protests began last week when the government slashed food subsidies on eggs, milk, chicken, and cooking oil leading to price rises of some 300%. Since then, protests have spread to many areas of the country and, according to observers, have taken on a much more anti-government current. Protesters, showing no fear of retribution by the state security services, have been heard shouting, “Death to Khamenei! Death to Raisi!” referring to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who has promised to create jobs, lift sanctions, and rescue the economy. Over the weekend, reports said up to five people were killed following a crackdown by authorities. A semi-official government news agency put the number of dead from the protests at one, according to the Associated Press. Source From Behold Israel: Click to see Amir Tsarfati on impending war: https://youtu.be/2EBZMhHcphc From medialine.org From 5/18/2022: Report: US To Participate in Israeli Simulation of Military Strike on Iran The US military will participate in a major Israeli drill later this month simulating an airstrike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, Israel’s Channel 13 reported on Tuesday. The drill, part of an exercise dubbed “Chariots of Fire,” will include the air-to-air refueling of Israeli fighter jets by US Air Force tanker planes as they simulate entering Iranian territory and carrying out repeated strikes. The unprecedented collaboration in such a drill is seen as a message to Iran that a military alternative exists if the long-stalled nuclear negotiations in Vienna do not result in an agreement that puts meaningful limits on Iran’s nuclear program. Israel’s Kan TV News said dozens of Israeli fighter jets will take part in the exercise. A similar major drill that Israel conducted 10 years ago, when it was reported to be on the verge of launching a real attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, did not include US participation, the TV report said. Against the backdrop of this upcoming drill, Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz will meet with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon in Washington on Thursday, and Gen. Michael Kurilla, head of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), arrived in Israel on Tuesday for his first official visit. On Tuesday, Gantz warned that “the price for tackling the Iranian challenge on a global or regional level is higher than it was a year ago and lower than it will be in a year.” The Israeli defense minister said Iran was just a “few weeks” away from amassing sufficient fissile material to build a bomb and was finishing the production and installation of 1,000 advanced centrifuges for enriching uranium. source From jerusalemjane.com