More straws in the wind regarding Iran strike

By John McLaughlin

An American Thinker blog on June 23 reported on a Jerusalem Post article about rumors of Israeli aircraft possibly involved in construction of a forward military base in Saudi Arabia. The original reports came out of Iran raising speculation the rumors might be an anti-Saudi hit piece or a warning that Iran knew what was up.

Now a follow-up Jerusalem Post article reports further details:

Israel Air Force aircraft dropped off large quantities of military gear at a Saudi Arabian military base a week ago, in preparation for a potential attack on Iran, a number of Iranian and Israeli news outlets have reported

The unconfirmed report, first published by the semi-official Iranian news agency Fars and the Islam Times Web site, claimed that on June 18 and 19, Israeli helicopters unloaded military equipment and built a base just over 8 km. outside the northwestern city of Tabuk, the closest Saudi city to Israel, located just south of Jordan. All civilian flights into and out of the city were said to have been canceled during the Israeli drop-off, and passengers were reportedly compensated by the Saudi authorities and accommodated in nearby hotels.

The claim follows a report two weeks ago in the London Times Magazine that Saudi Arabia had given Israel permission to fly through a narrow corridor of airspace in northern Saudi Arabia so as to shorten the flight time required for Israeli jets to reach Iran. The Times said that Saudi Arabia had adjusted its missile defense systems to ensure that Israeli jets are not shot down while passing through Saudi airspace on the way to an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities.

This news follows reports an 11-vessel U.S. Navy carrier task force and an Israeli warship passing through the Suez canal heading into the Red Sea and makes one wonder if the cancellation by Iran of a threatened confrontation of the Gaza naval blockade by Israel may also be linked.

Add to all this news the following report out of Israel from the Toronto G-8 meeting:

World leaders "believe absolutely" that Israel may decide to take military action against Iran to prevent the latter from acquiring nuclear weapons, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said Saturday.

"Iran is not guaranteeing a peaceful production of nuclear power [so] the members of the G-8 are worried and believe absolutely that Israel will probably react preemptively," Berlusconi told reporters following talks with other Group of Eight leaders north of Toronto.

One gets the definite feeling that the world may in for an interesting summer.