"State of the Art Israeli missile passed Crete and fell off Malta"
Israel will attack Iran: "State of the Art Israeli missile passed Crete and fell off Malta" say the Russians (map)
"Our decision will affect the entire Middle East - Iran will have five atomic bombs in a month"
Russian early warning radars detected the launch of an Israeli medium-range ballistic missile which passed "right" over Crete and fell into the sea area off Malta.
According to the Russians, Israel simulated a strike on Iran while fears are expressed that the simulation was not for a simple strike but for a nuclear one.
The Israeli missile traveled about 1,800 kilometers from the launch site, roughly the distance to Tehran.
The Russian think tank Rybar reports for its part:
“On June 24, Israel conducted a missile test.
People living near the Palmachim air base recorded the launch of a missile from a military installation.
Residents of Malta reported the missile flying and falling somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea. The distance was about 1700-1800 kilometers.
We searched the available Navtex and NOTAM data and indeed found flight and movement restrictions in the area east of the island nation for those dates only.
Given the distance from Israel, the flight of Elint Shavit planes (they always fly close by when testing missiles), and the lack of media coverage, the Israelis must have been trying something serious.
Moreover, a distance of 1800 kilometers is enough to hit Tehran from Tel Aviv. And against the background of the escalation with Lebanon and the declarations of the Iranian side about possible entry into the conflict, such a test seems very symbolic."
See the map as published by Russian sources
Dramatic moments in the Middle East: Iran will have five atomic bombs in 30 days!
The Iranian nuclear threat is re-emerging as a top priority for Israel as Iran takes alarming steps to advance its nuclear program. As the war continues to rage, Israel is rushing to refocus on Iran's nuclear project while pushing the US for action against Tehran.
"Intelligence indicates a move towards nuclear weapons and that is why the Israeli Air Force is conducting long-range strike exercises. Israel is asking for US support against Tehran," Israeli sources say.
The Israeli exercises included long-range flights, air refueling and deep strike operations, Israeli media Israel Hayom reports. Specifically, the Air Force created an "Iranian sector of operations" during the current war amid intelligence assessments that show Iran's alarming progress toward nuclear weapons capabilities.
Israel fears that Iran will move too quickly towards acquiring nuclear weapons while the US is busy with the presidential election campaign. Tehran may also count on the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon to divert attention away from its nuclear moves.
The IAEA has warned that Iran is dramatically accelerating uranium enrichment by installing advanced centrifuges at Fordow. Tehran's enrichment capacity is expected to increase by more than 300%, allowing it to produce enough material for five atomic bombs within a month, according to a recent report.
New information indicates Iranian activities to reduce the time needed to build a nuclear bomb , Walla News reported.
Dozens of scientists in Iran are said to be working on all aspects of building nuclear weapons, including computer modeling of nuclear devices.
Because of the escalating threat, Prime Minister Netanyahu re-established task forces of Israeli defense officials, intelligence officers and diplomats to focus on the Iranian nuclear project, the report said.
"Our decision will affect the entire Middle East"
"Israel is approaching a decision that will affect the entire Middle East, time is running out to stop Iran's nuclear weapons ," Israel's Foreign Minister Gallad said, raising questions about whether the target is only Hezbollah at this stage.
Speaking at the start of the meeting with Austin, Gallant said "we are working closely to reach an agreement, but we also need to discuss preparedness for every possible scenario ."
Last week, the Israeli military said plans for an attack on Lebanon were "approved and validated" amid escalating cross-border clashes with Hezbollah. Washington is seeking to lower the temperature and prevent another major conflict in the Middle East.
The United States has warned Israel that a conflict with Hezbollah could spark a regional war.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallad at the Pentagon, saying diplomacy is the best option as fears of a major war against the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon have grown after months of cross-border fire.
"Another war between Israel and Hezbollah could easily become a regional war, with dire consequences for the Middle East ," Austin said. "Diplomacy is by far the best way to prevent further escalation."
Regarding the request to increase the flow of arms to Israel, which we also reported in a related article, US officials say that the supply of weapons to the IDF has slowed because Israel has submitted fewer requests, while large shipments of previously ordered weapons have already been delivered .
The slowdown is only related to the mass deliveries in the first months of the war, an official told the Wall Street Journal, Israel has not yet commented, apparently because it considers these statements, prefaces in sins.
Meanwhile, Israel has begun preparations to set up large emergency warehouses for wartime food supplies. Talks are also underway with Starlink to provide internet in the event Hezbollah destroys the entire power grid, the Jerusalem Post reports
This is being reported by Hal Turner
- not being reported anywhere else now.
Unexpected Development: Egypt at Rafah Border
There has been a sudden and unexpected (serious) development in Egypt, at the border of Rafah, Gaza.
The Egyptian army is massing a significant force in Egyptian Rafah, including about 160 main battle tanks (so far today) and amphibious vehicles, along with 140 jeeps equipped with anti-tank guns.
As the main body of the Israeli Army is redeployed to the north, presumably for invasion operations into southern Lebanon, Egypt has now moved significant army resources to the Egyptian border at Rafah.
As Israel enters Lebanon, will Egypt enter Rafah? Will they enter farther north into Israel itself?
For its part, Egypt is NOT revealing - even to the United States - its intentions.
US Military contacts with Egypt were politely told the ongoing operation is "Classified" and no further details were provided. The US is miffed!
Is this a sort of "tap on the shoulder" to Israel about the presumed-pending Lebanon invasion?
Yemeni forces conduct ops against 4 ships in Mediterranean, Red Sea
Brigadier General Yahya Saree says that the Yemeni Armed Forces attacked four vessels owned by the US or affiliated with the Israeli occupation.
The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) attacked four Israeli-affiliated ships and an American vessel in the Mediterranean and Red Sea, the spokesperson for the YAF, Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced on Friday.
Saree said that the YAF conducted a joint operation with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, in which the groups fired several suicide drones toward the WALER chemical and oil products tanker in the Mediterranean Sea. He explained that the ship was sailing toward the Israeli-occupied Haifa Port, breaching the terms of the Yemeni embargo on the Israeli occupation.
The YAF Rocket Force and Navy also targeted the American-owned DELONIX chemical tanker in the Red Sea, utilizing several anti-ship ballistic missiles that reportedly directly impacted the vessel.
Gallant changed his mind, backtracks on wanting war with Lebanon
Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant has reportedly changed his mind regarding a war with Lebanon, saying he did not want one, US officials say.
In a recent visit to the United States, Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant engaged in discussions with American officials on critical matters concerning the ongoing wars the Israeli occupation is waging, particularly focusing on the major fronts in Gaza and Lebanon.
According to a report by The New York Times, American officials noted a significant shift in Gallant's stance on what he previously termed the "destruction of Hamas and Hezbollah."
Initially, following October 7's Operation al-Aqsa Flood, Gallant's position was that "Israel should have responded by trying to destroy both Hamas and Hezbollah." However, his view has evolved, now suggesting that "opening a new front would be undesirable."
The newspaper highlighted that US officials believe the Israeli government is divided over the "wisdom of opening a larger front with Hezbollah in the north."
Israeli Channel 12 also reported on the pressure the Lebanese front exerts on the Israeli government and its military, revealing that the concern extends beyond the Israeli occupation to Washington as well.