Israel says US bombers used its bases to strike Iran

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israeli defence minister Israel Katz on Tuesday said that American warplanes used Israeli bases during their attacks on Iran, reiterating that his country was prepared to retaliate if targeted.

Fighting between the US and Iran has been paused since Friday after 13 nights of US strikes on the Islamic republic, after an April ceasefire collapsed.

Israel has not taken part in the latest round of hostilities in the war that began in late February with a wave of US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

“The fact is that, at the moment – and this could change within an hour – the Iranians are firing at everything in the region except one country: the State of Israel,” Katz told Israel’s right-wing Channel 14.

“They know that American aircraft are taking off from here to carry out strikes,” he added.

“This does not mean we know what will happen tomorrow; it means we know what our response will be. I announced it, the Prime Minister announced it, and we made it absolutely clear: if Israel comes under fire, we will strike back with full force,” Katz said.

US President Donald Trump on Monday voiced optimism at the prospects for a negotiated peace deal with Iran, as the two sides held their fire for a third consecutive day.