According to a CCTV News report, a reporter from the China Media Group learned on October 21 local time that, according to U.S. officials and other people familiar with the matter, the U.S. and Israeli militaries have drawn up specific plans to launch another military strike against Iran after the U.S. midterm elections.
It is said that the two sides are preparing a military operation that would be shorter in duration but higher in intensity, and are stepping up joint drills, including sending military aircraft over Iraq to conduct simulated strike training.
During U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth's visit to Israel this week, he discussed plans for a new round of military strikes on Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Relevant reports say the targets of the new round of strikes may include Iran's energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and missile and drone arsenals. Some U.S. officials believe that launching another large-scale military operation could further batter Iran's economy and force Iran to make concessions in diplomatic negotiations. At present, the United States has not officially announced the implementation of the relevant military action.
It is worth noting that, according to Israeli sources on the 21st, dozens of Israeli fighter jets and aerial refueling aircraft flew over Syrian and Iraqi airspace earlier this week, approached the Iranian border, and then turned back. The report, citing two senior U.S. officials, said the operation took place from the night of the 19th to the early hours of the 20th, and that Israeli warplanes flew in formations and along routes similar to those used for strikes against Iran. The report said Israel notified the United States before the operation, saying the deployment was a military exercise and a show of force aimed at deterring Iran. However, relevant sources believe that some Israeli officials actually attempted to provoke Iran into firing on Israeli warplanes, thereby providing a pretext for Israel to launch a military strike on Iran. Israeli officials have not yet commented on this.
The U.S. side said on the 19th, citing people familiar with the matter, that U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth visited Israel that day and met with Prime Minister Netanyahu. At present, tensions between Israel and Iran continue to escalate, with only six days left before Israel holds parliamentary elections on October 27. Netanyahu said earlier on the 21st that only by toppling the Iranian regime can the so-called threat posed by Iran to Israel be completely eliminated.
In addition, content posted on social media on the 20th by the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Roosevelt showed that the carrier had recently arrived in Japan and carried out replenishment. According to U.S. sources on the 20th, the USS Roosevelt is being dispatched to the Middle East. Two U.S. officials said on the 20th that the United States is sending the USS Roosevelt carrier strike group and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East. The USS Roosevelt is expected to arrive in the Middle East by the end of November, and these new deployments will add about 10,000 troops to the U.S. military presence in the Middle East.
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