Reportedly this is the message delivered to Jerusalem from the Obama administration officials during recent talks in Israel . . . “Saudi Arabia will not permit Israeli aircraft to cross its territory on the way to strike Iran.”

Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak said later, he had received no such message, however some Israeli officials see this situation as a discreet warning message from the U.S., not to carry out a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities on their own.

The US military supplies Saudi Arabia with equipment and aircraft. Some think that if Israel and the United States carry out a joint attack against Iran, Saudi Arabia would permit over-flights. However Yedioth Ahronoth daily newspaper published in Tel Aviv, claims that if Israel were to act alone, Riyadh (Arabie Saoudite) would intercept any Israeli plane that tried to cross its territory on the way to Iran.

Israel would have to utilize around 100 warplanes to strike Iran’s four main nuclear sites, and travel about 1,000 miles over hostile territory in order to reach them. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would prefer the U.S. take the lead, or at least assist with any possible strike against Iran, but the United States wants to wait until after presidential elections in November. Israel sees an urgent need to move before Iran has any more time to develop nuclear weapons and hide their facilities beyond the reach of Israel’s bombs. It is unclear if Turkey or Jordan would permit Israel to use its airspace.

AMÉRICANO. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta said in Israel last week, “If they (Iran) continue and if they proceed with a nuclear weapon, we have options that we are prepared to implement to ensure that that does not happen.”

Washington has used a lot of effort to hold Israel back from a unilateral strike. At this point it is difficult to say why the present administration continues to believe there is time for diplomacy and sanctions to work. Meanwhile Iran’s nuclear plans continue to go forward to threaten world peace at an alarming rate.