Middle East: Israel’s “feeders”, the fear of Iran and the next phase –

The time is ticking down for Israel to strike Iran with experts taking it for granted that it will happen before the US election. The information wants Netanyahu to have decided where the attacks will take place, however the date has not been locked.

At the same time, CNN presented the detailed map of the countries that supply Israel with the USA being in a dominant position, followed by Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain and France.

The main “blood donor” of Israel

The United States is overwhelmingly the largest arms supplier to Israel. In 2023, 69% of its arms imports came from the US, according to a Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report on international arms transfers.

Germany was the second largest, providing 30%, followed by Italy with 0.9%. The United Kingdom, France and Spain also contributed to Tel Aviv’s equipment to a lesser extent as did other states.

US weapons “have played a significant role in Israel’s military actions against Hamas and Hezbollah,” the think tank said, noting that by the end of 2023, thousands of guided bombs and missiles had been delivered by the US to the IDF.

F-35 and F-15 fighter jets were also delivered to Israel by the US in January 2024. CNN’s analysis has identified numerous instances of US-made munitions being used throughout the war, including in strikes that killed civilians.

Recently, the US network found that 2,000-pound (about one ton) American-made bombs were likely used in the Israeli attack that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.

The US also financially supports Israel, providing more than $130 billion in bilateral funding since 1948, according to the State Department.

In 2019, the two countries signed a memorandum ensuring that the US would provide Israel with $3.3 billion annually from the Foreign Military Financing program and another $500 million for missile defense.

Germany: We will continue to supply Israel with weapons

While in 2023, Germany contributed 30% of Israel’s weapons, this supply was significantly reduced during 2024.

Earlier this year, the International Court of Justice rejected a request by Nicaragua to order Germany to stop providing military aid to Israel. One of the main reasons was that German military aid to the country had fallen from around 200 million euros in October 2023 to 1 million euros by the time the decision was issued in March.

But on October 10, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his country had not stopped supplying weapons to Israel, noting that Germany “has supplied weapons and we will supply weapons”. He added that the weapons would be delivered to Israel “in the near future.”

Israeli security has historically been a key element of German foreign policy due to the Nazi Holocaust against the Jews during World War II.

Italy: Helicopters, weapons and parts for F-35

Italy has provided helicopters and weapons to Israel, according to SIPRI, and is a partner in the F-35 fighter jet program, helping to manufacture components.

However, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told local media in late January that Italy had stopped arms shipments to Israel since October 7 last year. Any agreements signed before then were still being observed, SIPRI said.

Pagella Politica, an Italian watchdog, said Italian companies had sold nearly $129 million worth of arms to Israel over a decade to 2022.

United Kingdom: Partial suspension of exports

The British government says “exports of military goods to Israel are low”. It said it granted licenses worth $23.42 million in 2023. However, the UK has suspended some licenses to Israel for military equipment in the past year.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy suspended around 30 of the 350 licenses to Israel when the Labor government took office in July, with an official assessment finding there was a clear risk the weapons would be used “to commit or facilitate a serious breach of of international humanitarian law”.

The suspensions affected the supply of some components for drones and F-35 fighter jets. However, the British government has not suspended the supply of material not directly used in Israel’s war on Gaza – for example, for training purposes.

Spain: Call for an embargo

In February, Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation issued a press release noting that the government had not issued any arms sales to Israel since October 7 of last year.

On October 11, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez condemned what he called the “unacceptable” Israeli attack on Lebanon and called on the international community to stop arms exports to Israel.

“We stress the urgent need for the Israeli government to stop its hostilities, which violate international law by invading a third country, in this case Lebanon, as well as International Humanitarian Law, as it has even been challenged by the International Court of Justice,” he stated.

France: Change of attitude

Macron called for an end to arms exports to Israel to try to push for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza. On October 5, Macron called for a complete suspension of the sale of weapons “used in the war in Gaza” and stressed that France had not been involved in their procurement.

According to SIPRI, its figures show no significant French arms exports to Israel from 2019-23, but notes that France supplied weapons components.

Iran is ready to respond

From Iran’s side, it is preparing both to defend itself against the attack it will receive from Israel, and for its counterattack. Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization today deemed an Israeli attack on critical nuclear facilities in Iran “extremely unlikely”, noting that even if such an attack were to occur, the country could “repair” any potential damage.

The next day in the Middle East

The balance of power in the Middle East could change completely after the impending attack on Iran according to a Sky News analysis. Israel appears highly likely to be preparing to strike Iran’s military targets rather than oil or nuclear facilities, according to US reports.

“The cabinet is believed to have met and is believed to have approved targets to strike, at least according to Israeli media. And so it seems it’s just a matter of time and when that will happen. It could happen tonight or the next few nights. Looks like it’s imminent. And when that happens, it could completely change the dynamics,” says an analyst.

The US recently threatened to withdraw some of its military support to Israel if it does not improve the flow of humanitarian aid to Palestinian citizens in Gaza within the next 30 days.

“I think that’s the trap, because this takes us beyond the US election,” he said, and continued, “Skeptics might wonder how much of this is being done for political effect by an administration trying to elect its vice president as president.”

America is also in the process of sending Israel one of its highly advanced THAAD air defense systems, along with US troops to operate them.

Of course, as the analyst points out, the Israelis “may doubt the sincerity” of the US threats, given that Washington is also sending “the most advanced military assistance the Israelis could hope for.”