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Middle East conflict

Doomsday plane arrives at air base near Washington DC

With aerial refueling, Nightwatch can remain airborne for a week

LONDON, June 18. /TASS/. The E-4B "Nightwatch," also known as the Doomsday Plane, has relocated from the US state of Louisiana to Andrews Air Force Base near Washington D.C. amid the latest escalation of the Israeli-Iranian conflict, The Daily Mail reported.

The plane, which serves as a flying command post for the country’s leadership in case of a nuclear attack, took off from Bossier City at 5:56 p.m. local time (9:56 a.m. GMT) and landed at Joint Base Andrews at 10:01 p.m. local time (2:01 p.m. GMT).

With aerial refueling, Nightwatch can remain airborne for a week. The equipment on board has thermal and nuclear shielding. The plane was used by 43rd US President George Bush during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack.

The US air force operates four E-4 planes, which entered service in the 1970s and whose life span expires in 2030s.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said joining Israel’s operation against Iran was possible. The Axios news portal said on June 17 citing sources that the US administration is examining the possibility of striking the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities.

The New York Times, in turn, reported that Iraq was ready to strike US military bases in the Middle East if Washington joined the hostilities on Israel’s side.

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Middle East conflict

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IDF registers launch of Iranian missiles towards Israel

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Military conflict in Ukraine could spread to Europe — Kherson governor

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World War III would destroy civilization, must be prevented — senior Russian diplomat

Alexander Pankin also expressed skepticism about UN reform efforts

Israel attacks Iran’s Rasht off Caspian Sea coast

The strike was delivered on the territory of the Sefidrud Technology Park

US intelligence believes that strike on Fordow may spur Iran’s nuclear ambitions

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Some 488,000 explosive devices defused in Kursk Region this year

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Russia will achieve goals on Ukraine militarily if peace effort fails — Putin

The Russian President stated this at a meeting organized by TASS with the heads of leading world news agencies

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Russian Presidential Aide Yury Ushakov said that last year, trade turnover once again reached a record high, approaching $245 bln

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Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem did not elaborate on whether the movement plans full-scale participation in the ongoing armed conflict

Lugansk People's Republic ready to launch rail service with Moscow — head of republic

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Iran may isolate some of US Navy warships in Persian Gulf — NYT

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Ukraine operation confirms advantages of Russian weapons over western ones

Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Alexey Shevtsov still noted that the latest weapons are useless without properly trained personnel

Iran shoots down fifth Israeli F-35 — municipal authorities

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Iran won’t halt strikes until after Israel pays reparations — National Security Council

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At least 16 detained in Iran on suspicion of supporting Israel

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Trump to make decision on strikes on Iran within two weeks — White House

The US President believes that there still are chances for diplomacy with Tehran

	
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