Israel and the United States building up for Iran strike

Only two weeks after a report Israel was arranging for a nuclear-armed Dolphin-class submarine to remain off Iranian shores at all times comes another saying Saudi Arabia has conducted exercises to insure Israeli aircraft attacking Iran will not be intercepted by Saudi fighters. Though there are no indications Saudi Arabia would directly take part in a strike on Iran it would inevitably be drawn into the conflict as a result of its assistance for Israel.

At the same time as these developments concerning Israel are others concerning the U.S. Navy movements in the region. A Carrier Strike Group headed by the U.S.S. Harry Turman is being deployed to the Persian Gulf for six months. Most notably this Strike Group currently includes a German air defense frigate to improve interoperability of the two navies. The Truman Strike Group was also taking part in interopability exercises with the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and elements of the British air force.

This deployment for the Strike Group is reportedly part of a larger buildup planned in the region with the possibility of four or five carrier groups deployed near Iran by the end of July or beginning of August. The interoperability exercises and Israel's actions raise the prospect of a coalition unlike the one formed for the war with Iraq.

U.S.-French operations were intended to allow for the French and Americans personnel and aircraft to essentially be interchangeable. The fact a carrier group so involved in interoperability exercises with the great military powers of Europe is being deployed to the shores off Iran at this crucial point in time lends credence to the reports of a buildup.

Israel's seizure of a flotilla of ships carrying aid to Gaza has heightened concerns about war erupting in the region with both Turkey and Iran talking about providing military escorts to future aid efforts. In the case of Iran two Iranian Red Crescent ships are preparing to deliver aid to Gaza and plan to have volunteers from Iranian marines on board as a deterrent. Israel has stated it will use greater force in the future against other aid missions. If this effort by Iran goes forward it could provide them a casus belli to pre-empt any efforts by the West towards launching a coordinated strike against its nuclear facilities.