A hollow threat, at best:
http://formerspook.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-hollow-shoot-down-threat.html
The IAF has the ability to generate a strike force and get it into Iran without U.S. detection. And, if the Israelis utilize some of the basing options available to them, Obama would face the challenge of “attacking” other U.S. allies to interdict the IAF operation.
More importantly, the Israelis—and everyone else in the region—know that Obama is making a meaningless threat.
“The IAF has the ability to generate a strike force and get it into Iran without U.S. detection. “
Not so. We have the entire mid-east covered by air assets and other means. And in order to fly in Iraqi airspace, electronic codes needs to be programmed, without those authorization codes and incorporated in the ATO, those jets would be intercepted.
No way a strike package could enter Iraq without being detected.
Our electronic methods would be tracking such a move from Israeli jets start-up, taxi, take-off, en-route, attack, post mission return.
Israeli Air Force is good, but not as good as US air forces. Red Flag and other exercises prove that when we have gone head-to-head with them.