The United States and Israel began their largest ever joint military exercise, deploying more than 10 warships and around 140 aircraft in the eastern Mediterranean, amid rising tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, DPA reports, Agerpres reads.

Thousands of soldiers are involved in the exercise, the Israeli army said, adding that the aim is to combat „a wide range of regional threats”.

„This exercise strengthens US-Israeli collective training and improves the interoperability of both forces, thus contributing to regional stability,” said the US Central Command.

Speaking at a meeting with representatives of the American Jewish Committee, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the common goal of the two allies is to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Iran’s nuclear program was also at the center of talks between US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Netanyahu in Jerusalem last week.

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iranian leaders have declared Israel their mortal enemy, repeatedly calling for its destruction.

Israel opposes attempts to revive the deal to prevent Iran from building a nuclear weapon, originally agreed in 2015 but frozen in 2018 when the US withdrew.

Agerpres