An Israeli military official confirmed that Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities now pose an existential threat to both Israel and the broader Middle East.
Speaking at a press briefing, the official said that Iran’s missile stockpile, which exceeds 2,000, has created a logistical bottleneck. Still, even with the limitation of only about 400 missile launchers, the Iranian regime has been able to launch devastating strikes.
Fortunately, Israel’s preemptive strikes against Iranian missile launchers have significantly reduced the number of projectiles that could reach Israeli targets. However, the official warned that the quantity and quality of missiles Iran possesses remain a grave concern.
The official discussed a series of threats emanating from Iran, focusing particularly on Iran’s ballistic missile program, nuclear ambitions, and a strategic “ring of fire” around Israel.
Iran’s long-term goal, according to the official, is not just to challenge Israel but to build a military arsenal capable of striking European capitals and eventually the East Coast of the United States.
“The missiles that Iran is developing can already reach Europe, and they have plans for further advancements that could enable them to strike the United States,” the official said.
The official also detailed the urgency of dealing with Iran’s nuclear program, which has been advancing behind the scenes despite the appearance of diplomatic talks. Iran already has enough enriched uranium for at least 10 atomic bombs.
“With such vast resources, they have no reason to enrich uranium to the levels they have unless they are actively seeking to build nuclear weapons,” the official stated.
“They were moving ahead with every step in the nuclear weapons process, and if we didn’t act, we would have faced the reality of a nuclear-armed Iran.”
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(Photo: Iran's Presidential website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS)
“We assessed that Iran had approximately 2,000 to 2,500 ballistic missiles at the beginning of this conflict,” the official explained. “However, they were rapidly moving toward a mass-production strategy, which could see their missile stockpile grow to 8,000 or even 20,000 missiles in the next few years.”
Despite Israel’s sophisticated defense systems like the Iron Dome, the sheer volume of missiles would eventually overwhelm even the most robust defenses. “For a state the size of Israel, that’s an existential threat,” the official said. “Even with our impressive defense systems, you can’t defend against 10,000 ballistic missiles.”
In the context of this threat, Israel’s aerial defense operations were crucial. The official confirmed that Israeli forces had successfully eliminated over half of Iran’s missile launchers. “Iran had about 400 launchers, and we destroyed more than 200 of them, which caused a bottleneck in their missile operations,” he said. Despite this, Iran was still able to fire over 500 ballistic missiles at Israel, and they were planning to launch many more. Our aerial supremacy and preemptive strikes were crucial in mitigating the impact of these launches.”
The official identified what he termed a “triple existential threat” posed by Iran. This includes the nuclear weapons program, the ballistic missile threat, and the increasing encirclement of Israel by Iranian-backed forces. “Iran has been funding proxies in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq to create a ring of fire around Israel,” the official explained. “This is not just a theoretical threat; it’s a practical, ongoing effort that we’ve been fighting against on multiple fronts.”
The official emphasized that Israel’s actions against Iranian proxies, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, were vital for preserving Israeli security. “We found intelligence in Gaza showing links between Hamas leaders and senior Iranian military commanders, indicating that Iran was directly orchestrating efforts to rearm Hamas and launch another October 7-style attack, but on a much larger scale,” the official revealed. “We eliminated those leaders before they could carry out their plans.”
The official also spoke about concerns regarding the use of cluster bombs in the war, which Iran has deployed to increase civilian casualties. “Iran’s use of cluster bombs is a war crime,” the official said. “These weapons disperse small bombs over a wide area, and as civilians approach, they can be killed by the lingering munitions. Fortunately, our people followed safety guidelines, and most civilians stayed in bomb shelters, which minimized the casualties.”
“Even with 36 points of impact on our civilians, we only saw 29 fatalities. We also didn’t lose a single active soldier during this conflict, which is a testament to the effectiveness of our defense systems and our ability to eliminate incoming threats before they reach their targets,” the official said.
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Tofficial to comment on concerns regarding the use of cluster bombs in the conflict, which Iran has deployed to increase civilian casualties. “Iran’s use of cluster bombs is a war crime,” the official said. “These weapons disperse small bombs over a wide area, and as civilians approach, they can be killed by the lingering munitions. Fortunately, our people followed safety guidelines, and most civilians stayed in bomb shelters, which minimized the casualties.”
The official reiterated Israel’s commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, noting that Israel’s intelligence and military capabilities remain on high alert. “We have no time to rest. We are constantly assessing whether Iran is moving toward a nuclear bomb,” the official stated. “While we hope for a diplomatic solution, Israel will not allow a nuclear-armed Iran to exist. We will act when necessary.”
The official concluded by stressing the ongoing nature of the conflict. “We are still fighting on multiple fronts, and while we have achieved success, this is far from over,” the official warned. “Iran is determined to destroy Israel, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to prevent that from happening.”
With Iran’s missile arsenal and nuclear ambitions continuing to grow, the official emphasized that Israel’s defense strategy must remain agile and adaptive to meet the evolving threats. “We are always preparing for the worst-case scenario,” the official said. “Israel’s security is nonnegotiable, and we will do whatever it takes to ensure our survival.”