US was 'prepared to save Israeli pilots' if attack on Iran failed

Israel and the US coordinated on a plan to rescue Israeli pilots who took part in Israel’s Saturday attack on Iran in case the attack failed, Israeli army radio reported on Sunday.

It added that the US did not take part on the attack on Iran but its planes were ready to save Israeli pilots if this was called for.

On Sunday however, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US of complicity in the Israeli attack, saying this will increase tension in the region.

“The Americans gave the Zionist air force an air corridor, and the defence facilities they sent them before can be considered collaboration with the recent operation. We consider that America’s collaboration with the Zionist entity to create tension in the region is something very clear,” he said.

Araghchi added that Iran reserved the right to respond to the Israeli attack. Iran has also called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council in response to the attack.

More than 100 Israeli fighter jets, including US-made F-16s and F-35s took part in the attack.

Israeli Army Radio said that the rescue plan was a sign of the close coordination between Israel and the US in the run-up to the attack on Iran, which came in response to an Iranian ballistic missile attack on Israel on October 1.

However, Israel also made its own plan to rescue its pilots without US help in case of the failure of the attack.

The Israeli attack on Iran reportedly killed four soldiers and caused damage to military sites.

It came amid Israel’s ongoing wars on Gaza and Lebanon, which have killed tens of thousands of civilians and displaced millions more.