The I.D.F. Spokesperson’s Office, along with U.S. and Iraqi sources, described media reports that Israeli Air Force planes were training in the skies over Iraq as nonsensical. The I.D.F. Spokesperson’s Office’s official denial stated: "Reports about putative Israeli air force (I.A.F.) activities in Iraq are utterly baseless."



Maj.-Gen. Mohammad al-Askari, a spokesperson for the Iraqi Ministry of Defense, corroborated the reports by saying, "We haven't observed any I.A.F warplanes practicing in Iraqi airspace."