Recent U.S. sale of bunker-buster bombs fuels speculation.
The Pentagon notified Congress on Tuesday of a proposed sale to Israel of 100 guided bunker-busting bombs, a move that analysts said could prompt concerns about a unilateral Israel strike against Iran.
Israel has requested the sale by the Lockheed Martin Corp. of GBU-28s worth as much as $30 million, the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a notice required by law for government-to-government military sales.
The GBU-28 was developed for penetrating hardened command centers located deep underground and would be used by the Israeli air force on its U.S.-built F-15 aircraft, the agency said.
John Isaacs, president of the Council for a Livable World, said the proposed sale was clearly “a provocative step” that would prompt concerns about a unilateral Israeli strike, particularly in Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East.
“One could be suspicious that these bombs could be used for an Israeli attack on Iran,” Isaacs said, noting that the bunker-busting bombs in question were non-nuclear, which limited their ability to dig far underground.
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