Telegraphing an Attack Against Iran

Telegraphing an Attack Against Iran

In late May and early June, Israeli forces carried out massive military exercises over the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The operation, reportedly codenamed "Glorious Spartan 08" unfurled a show of force worthy of Hollywood's epic movie producers. The maneuvers, everyone quickly surmised, looked very much like the kind of military operation Iran would see over its own skies if Israel (or the United States, or NATO) decided that diplomacy has reached a dead end in its efforts to stop Iran's nuclear program. On the surface, the exercise offered Israeli forces the opportunity to practice. But it was much more than that.

More than 100 F-16 and F-15 fighter jets, supported by rescue helicopters and refueling planes participated in the maneuvers over the Greek island of Crete. The Greek air force confirmed that it, too, participated in the exercise. As everyone promptly noticed, the operation took place about 900 miles off Israeli shores, precisely the distance -- in the opposite direction -- to Iran's nuclear facilities.

Perhaps the most peculiar trait of "Glorious Spartan" is that we all know about it. The operation was the opposite of secret. That means Israel wanted word to get out.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
  • The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review