"Multiple regional threats": US and Israel hold major military exercises

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel

Photo: Maya Alleruzzo / dpa

The United States and Israel have started a large-scale military exercise: Thousands of soldiers, around 140 aircraft and a dozen warships were involved in the exercise in Israel and the eastern Mediterranean until Friday, Israel's military said on Monday evening.

According to media reports, this is the largest military exercise that Israel and the United States have ever held together.

The background to this is growing tensions with Iran.

According to the military, the exercise is intended to counter a "variety of regional threats".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a meeting with representatives of the American-Jewish Committee in the evening that it is the common goal of Israel and the US to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Iran's nuclear program was also a topic at a meeting between US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Netanyahu in Jerusalem last week.

Since the Islamic Revolution in Iran in 1979, Israel has been considered the country's archenemy - and vice versa.

Again and again there are mutual military threats.

Israel suspects Iran of working on the atomic bomb under the guise of a civilian nuclear program and therefore wants to prevent a revival of the international nuclear agreement with the country at all costs.

Negotiations between Iran and the other parties - China, Germany, France, Great Britain, Russia and the USA - have been on hold for months.

aeh/dpa