Iran responded by placing military forces on maximum alert and patrolling its western border with MiG-29, F-14, and F-5 aircraft. The Iranian Air Force reportedly deployed 6 domestically produced HESA Kowsar jets that had not yet been officially commissioned or passed safety tests. These maneuvers occur 8 days before an Israeli election and follow about 2 weeks of smaller joint simulations with the US Air Force involving 10 jets from Nevatim Airbase to mask the timing of potential strikes.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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Israel Flies Dozens of Jets to Iran Border in Power Projection Sortie
War7 hours ago
Large numbers of Israeli aircraft entered the airspace of Syria and Iraq early this week to carry out a series of tactical drills. US sources told Channel 12 and Axios that dozens of fighters and refueling tankers reached the Iranian border in an "attack style" sortie on Monday and Tuesday. While Israel coordinated with Washington to frame the mission as a deterrence operation, some US sources suggest the sorties were intended to provoke Iran into firing on the jets to establish a pretext for resuming the war.
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