An unnamed source affiliated with the Russian Defense Ministry has denied a report by a Kuwaiti daily claiming two of Israel’s F-35 fighter jets flew over Syria and Iraq last week to reach Iranian airspace without being detected by Russian radars based in Syria.
Iraq’s Defense Ministry also denied Israel’s jets had violated its airspace.
The Kuwaiti newspaper, Al-Jarida, widely believed to be an outlet used by Israel to send messages to the Arab world, reported on March 29, “Two [Israeli] Aidr stealth jets flew undetected over Syria and Iraq and snuck into Iranian airspace, flying reconnaissance missions over the Iranian cities Bandar Abbas, Esfahan, and Shiraz.”
Citing an “informed source,” Al-Jarida maintained, “The two jets went undetected by radar, including by the Russian radar system located in Syria.”
Furthermore, the source refused to confirm if the operation was undertaken in coordination with the U.S. Army, which recently conducted joint exercises with the IDF.
The two jets went undetected by radar, including by the Russian radar system located in SyriaKuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida
The source also allegedly told Al-Jarida that the “stealth fighter jets can travel from Israel to Iran twice without refueling.”
However, according to Iraqi media outlets, on March 30 Baghdad denied the reports saying Israeli stealth jets infiltrated Iraqi and Iranian air space.
In a statement, Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman Tahsin al-Khafaji dismissed “such reports” as “inaccurate and untrue.”
An unnamed source affiliated with the Russian Defense Ministry also denied the report and dismissed it as an “outright lie.”
Russian news outlet Sputnik quoted the source as saying, “It is absurd to claim that Israeli fighter jets deceived Russian radars.” The Russian air defense system, based in Syria to protect Russian facilities in Tartus an Hamim, has always operated perfectly well, the source insisted.