U.S. to Simulate Strikes on Iran Amid Tense World Cup Match

The U.S. will begin a series of joint aerial exercises with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday that will simulate strikes on Iran's nuclear program in the face of heightened tensions between America and the Middle Eastern country.

The exercises will reportedly begin Tuesday and will take place over the Mediterranean Sea and Israel, according to The Times of Israel, which cited an IDF statement.

"Fighter jets and refuelers from the IAF [Israeli Air Force] and the U.S. Air Force will take part in the exercise and simulate a number of scenarios in the face of regional threats," the statement said, according to the Times.

The joint exercises were scheduled to launch the same day that the U.S. is also set to face off against Iran on a soccer pitch in Qatar, which is hosting the 2022 World Cup scheduled to last through December 18.

The U.S.-Iran match will determine whether either of the two teams will be able to advance in the World Cup and get closer to a chance at victory in the nearly monthlong tournament.

The U.S. and Iran began the World Cup in Group B with England and Wales. Only the two teams that win the most points in each group advance to the next round. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw.

Ahead of the England-Wales and U.S.-Iran matches on Tuesday, England was leading Group B with four points, followed by Iran with three, the U.S. with two, then Wales with one.

Iran's participation in the World Cup and the buildup to its match with the U.S. has been accompanied with political tension.

After the U.S. Soccer Federation temporarily altered Iran's flag on its social media to show solidarity with protesters carrying out massive demonstrations against the Iranian regime, Iran state media called for the U.S. to be kicked out of the tournament, according to CNN.

The U.S. has sanctioned Iranian officials connected to a brutal crackdown on the protests.

The U.S. has also not yet been able to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal that would have Iran cut back on its nuclear enrichment and development programs.

The IDF appeared to preview the joint U.S. drills in a release late last week, which said that its chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Aviv Kohavi, participated in a joint situational assessment during a visit to the U.S. at the U.S. CENTCOM Coalition in Tampa, Florida.

This assessment centered on regional challenges, "primarily the Iranian threat," the IDF said. The two countries agreed to continue carrying out joint activity, as well as to establish "dedicated teams to deal with the Iranian challenge."

"In order to improve our capabilities toward the challenges in the region, joint activity with CENTCOM will be significantly expanded in the near future," Kohavi said in a statement. "At the same time, the IDF will continue to act at an accelerated rate against the entrenchment of the Iranian regime in the region."

U.S. Air Forces Central told Newsweek in a statement that the U.S. was conducting "fighter escort and refueling exercises over Israeli airspace as part of a partner nation integration event."

"Exercises like these are routine and we regularly conduct them with coalition and partner nation air forces across the region," the statement added.

Newsweek reached out to the IDF and Iran's Foreign Ministry for comment.

Update 11/30/22, 10:05 a.m. ET: This article was updated with a statement from U.S. Air Forces Central.