(PTI): Saudi Arabia will allow Israeli bombers to use its airspace for an aerial attack on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, diplomatic sources say.
Director of the Mossad, Meir Dagan, has assured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Saudi airspace would be available for Israel in case it plans to move forward with a long-threatened military foray into Iran, reported The Sunday Times.
According to the report, Saudi officials, in secret talks held earlier this year, have agreed to “turn a blind eye” to Israeli bombers flying over the kingdom to strike Iran’s nuclear sites.
“The Saudis have tacitly agreed to the Israeli air force flying through their airspace on a mission which is supposed to be in the common interests of both Israel and Saudi Arabia,” the newspaper quoted an Israeli diplomatic source as saying.
While Saudi officials deny having diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv, an Israeli defense source recently confirmed that the Mossad spy agency maintained “working relations” with the kingdom.
On Thursday, John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the United Nations, said it was “entirely logical” for the Israelis to use Saudi airspace to attack Iran.
Bolton said he had discussed the possibility with Saudi officials in closed-door meetings. “None of them would say anything about it publicly but they would certainly acquiesce in an overflight if the Israelis didn’t trumpet it as a big success.”
Tel Aviv accuses Tehran of nuclear weapons development - a charge rejected by both Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog, which has so far made “21 unannounced inspections” of the country’s nuclear facilities.
With eyes firmly fixed on Iran’s nuclear progressions, the right-wing government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened to bomb the country’s enrichment facilities out of existence.
There are three main routes for Israel to launch go-it-alone air strikes on Iran.
The northern route would take Israeli fighter jets to the north toward the corner of the Syrian-Turkish border, then turning east, along the Syrian border.
The central route would go over Jordan and iraq, while the southern route would entail flying through Saudi Arabia and then to Iran via iraq or even Kuwait.
Tags: Airspace, Attack, Iran's nuclear infrastructure, Israel, Mossad, Saudi Arabia