Force Posture.
Birdie at the last.
1. The United States and Iran moved closer to all-out conflict on Sunday, as the exchange of attacks on civilian and military structures continued to escalate and with at least three and possibly four U.S. service members killed since combat resumed a week ago. “The U.S. is planning for a wider war,” said one U.S. official familiar with internal administration discussions, adding that the Pentagon was increasing the number of military aircraft in the region. But the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, cautioned that the expansion of U.S. operations will be limited by dwindling stockpiles of air defense and long-range munitions and constraints on the ability to surge more troops and aircraft into the area because of battle damage. “We do not have enough to safely sustain operations, and I don’t think the White House is aware of that,” the official said. (Source: washingtonpost.com)
2. Israel is preparing to receive more U.S. refueling aircraft, an Israeli military official said on Sunday, as attacks launched by the United States and Iran have escalated over the past week. The Israeli official said the U.S. had "decided to adjust its force posture in the region" and "to reinforce the existing fleet of aerial refueling aircraft stationed in Israel with additional refueling aircraft." Another senior Israeli official said dozens of U.S. refuelling planes were expected to arrive in Israel. The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem was not immediately available for comment. (Source: reuters.com. Italics mine.)
3. Iran’s currency has fallen to a record low as the US seeks to increase pressure on the country’s battered economy and strikes threaten to reignite all-out war between Tehran and Washington. The rial touched 1.95 million to the dollar on the open market on Sunday, down nearly 10 per cent since a fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran started breaking down in early July. The tumble came after US President Donald Trump last week reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports to cut off oil exports and disrupt imports, part of their battle for control over the Strait of Hormuz. He also rescinded a waiver that allowed Iranian oil sales, Tehran’s economic lifeline. (Source: ft.com)
