Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Thursday dismissed a report that Saudi Arabia has threatened to shoot down Israeli jets that would cross its airspace en route to Iran.

"I am not aware of such a warning and did not receive one from the Americans," Barak told Israel Radio.

The remark followed a Thursday report in the Israeli Yedioth Aharonot daily that Riyadh has warned that it would down "any Israeli aircraft" entering its airspace should Israel decide to launch a strike on Iran's nuclear sites.

The message was relayed via senior U.S. government officials who visited Israel in recent weeks for high-level talks in which Iran's disputed nuclear program featured prominently, said the report.

Senior Israeli officials have allegedly claimed that the United States is leveraging the Saudi threat as part of ongoing efforts to dissuade Israel from launching a unilateral strike.

Military analysts have previously noted the enormous logistical complexity of an operation to bomb Tehran's uranium enrichment facilities, which would initially require Israeli pilots to fly more than 1,000 miles across unfriendly skies to reach their targets.

Given that the Israel Air Force would opt to take the southern route over Saudi Arabia, its pilots could find themselves maneuvering against advanced American-made fighter jets flown by Saudi aviators, though some sources estimate that Riyadh may permit Israel to use its airspace in a coordinated operation with Washington.

But there are other potential routes: to the north over Turkey and Syria or a central route across Jordan and Iraq. There is also a route along the Red Sea, which does not necessitate overflying any country but significantly lengthens the trip.

The New York Times in February estimated that the route over Iraq "would be the most direct and likely," citing defense analysts who said that Baghdad has no air defenses. Foreign commentators had previously assessed that Jordan will either turn a blind eye to Israeli planes entering its airspace or consider the act a violation of its sovereignty.

Meanwhile, Barak said Thursday that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would seek government approval for a decision to launch a military operation.

"We and the Americans fully agree that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, and all options are on the table. But, in the end, the Israeli government alone will make the decisions in regard to the country's security and its future," he said.