Israel to Increase Defense Budget for Possible Strike on Iran

Israel will allocate 1.5 billion dollars to prepare a possible strike against Iranian nuclear facilities, Channel 12 reported on Tuesday.

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A report by the national media stated that the army would use the money to purchase aircraft, drones and unique weaponry needed for such an attack.

The report follows a recent statement by the US Air Force that its new "bunker buster," the GBU-72 Advanced 5K Penetrator, had passed a successful test. According to the Israeli media report, the 2,260-kg (5,000 pounds (ca. 2,268 kg)) bomb might be used to hit Iran's nuclear facilities.

In September, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi told Walla website that the country accelerated its plans against Iranian nuclear targets.

Tehran's authorities have repeatedly insisted that their nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and it aims to generate electricity but warned that they would respond if they were attacked.

At the same time, Iranian officials have pointed to double standards regarding nuclear weapons, given that Israel is widely believed to have obtained nukes long ago. According to estimates, Tel Aviv might possess up to 90 nuclear warheads.

In September, Tehran called on nuclear powers to begin scrapping their nuclear arsenals, calling nuclear disarmament "a legal, political and moral responsibility."