Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday warned that Israel’s F-35 fighter jets can reach “anywhere in the Middle East,” following threats by senior Iranian officials in the last few days. 

He made the remark when he visited an air force base where he inspected F-35 jets made by US firm Lockheed Martin.

“Lately, Iran has been threatening Israel with destruction,” Netanyahu said, standing in front of an F-35 Adir jet during a visit to the Nevatim Air Force Base in the south. “It should remember that these planes can reach every place in the Middle East, including Iran, and of course also Syria.”

Though the F-35 stealth jet  does not have an effective range to reach Iran unassisted, but it could conduct operations there with in-air refueling, a capability possessed by Israel’s air force.

This follows up Iran's decision to begin breaching some commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers and attacks in the Gulf that Israel and the United States blame on Iran.

Recall that on July 1, a senior Iranian lawmaker said Israel would be destroyed in 30 minutes if the United States attacked the Islamic Republic.