Ynetnews reports: The IDF and the US European Command (USEUCOM) held a joint exercise, codenamed Juniper Falcon, that concluded Thursday. The two militaries examined a scenario in which an attack by Israel on Iranian interests in Syria or Lebanon elicits an Iranian retaliatory missile strike with the US coming to Israel’s’ aid.

The above scenario has become more likely following a change in Israel’s policy of keeping mum regarding its strikes in Syria. This week, Prime Minister and Defense Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that Israel was behind the mysterious airstrike on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights.

Today marks the end of the Juniper Falcon 2019 exercise. US and Israel, side by side. pic.twitter.com/3OJBDdEmWs — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 15, 2019

The exercise lasted 10 days and included some 700 officers and servicemen. Similar to other military exercises, such as Juniper Cobra which is held every two years, alternating with Juniper Falcon, the forces practiced maneuvers on the ground, in addition to at the command level. As in previous exercises, a massive missile barrage targeting Israel was the basic premise of the drill. But with the entrenchment of the Iranian military in Syria and western Iraq, IDF intelligence estimates that protecting Israeli airspace has become especially challenging.

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