Israel Confirms Receipt of U.S. Weapons Shipments While Washington Negotiated with Iran

The Israeli attack against Iran had been in preparation for some time. Israeli reports confirmed that the country had received 6,500 tons of ammunition and military equipment in the weeks prior to the offensive, supplied by the United States across 90 transport flights.

Among the materiel delivered was a vessel that arrived this weekend at the port of Haifa as part of a joint operation with the United States. Israel's Ministry of Defense stated in an official communiqué that the ship transported "tons of military equipment, including military materiel, dozens of Humvees, trucks, and other items." The Ministry further noted that it continues to coordinate with Washington to supply the Israeli military "with the necessary equipment," and confirmed that the maritime supply effort "will continue to intensify in the coming period as part of Operation Lion's Roar."

Israel and the United States launched a large-scale joint offensive Saturday against targets in Tehran and other Iranian cities, including Tabriz in the northwest and Isfahan in the center of the country. Iranian authorities reported significant civilian casualties across the country, with the Iranian Red Crescent reporting through the Fars news agency that the strikes resulted in more than 200 deaths and 747 wounded across 24 provinces. Among those reported killed were 85 children in the city of Minab.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by telephone with U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday as the operation was underway.

Iranian authorities, for their part, announced that a response to what they described as the "hostile and criminal" aggression will follow, and stated that it will be carried out without red lines.

The disclosures regarding U.S. weapons transfers have drawn scrutiny given that the deliveries occurred precisely during the period in which Washington was engaged in active diplomatic negotiations with Tehran over Iran's nuclear program — raising questions about the coherence of U.S. foreign policy and the extent to which military and diplomatic tracks were being pursued in parallel.