Most of the coverage of both the Israeli and the American attacks on Iranian military targets last June focused on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, which was the most worrisome part of Iran’s preparations for a future assault on Israel. But in an interview with The Times, Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Oren Marmorstein, noted at that time that there was almost equal worry about Iran’s ballistic missile program, which even without nuclear warheads was presented a great threat to Israel, and to Western Europe as well, for the intercontinental missiles Iran was building could reach London. More on Iran’s ballistic missile threat to Israel can be found in this article from shortly after the attacks: “Iran was stockpiling missile arsenal that could reach Europe, FM spox. says,” Jerusalem Post, June 29, 2025:
Iran was moving ballistic missile production into an industrial scale, and was about to become the top missile producer in the world, with intercontinental missiles able to reach European cities, including London, Israel Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein said during an interview with The Times on Sunday.
Iran “was about to become the top missile producer in the world’? That will come as news to many of us, so focused have we been on Fordow and Natanz and Isfahan, on enriched uranium purified to a near-weapons-grade level of 60%, and on 900 pounds of missing uranium. But an equally grave threat, according to the Israelis, was posed by those 3,000 ballistic missiles Iran had built, including those long-range missiles that could threaten Europe. Not enough attention has been given to that ballistic missile program that before the war had nearly made Iran the largest producer of missiles in the world.
Describing Israel’s reasoning for conducting airstrikes on Iran, Marmorstein told The Times that “We actually acted because of two existential threats. One was nuclear, and we acted when we did because Iran was at the 11th hour of being able to build a bomb. But the other was the ballistic threat.”
The US estimated Iran possessed approximately 3,000 ballistic missiles before Operation Rising Lion began, but was undergoing attempts to increase production to 20,000, Marmorstein stated, with missiles capable of carrying two-ton payloads, The Times noted.
The Israelis now estimate that of those 3,000 ballistic missiles Iran possessed at the beginning of the war, at least 1000 were either destroyed on the ground in Iran, or were intercepted and destroyed in Israeli airspace. Had Israel not agreed to the ceasefire that Trump imposed, it could have destroyed many hundreds more. Israel also destroyed at least 120 rocket launchers, about one-third of the number Iran possessed at the beginning of the war. In addition, the IDF destroyed all of the plants where ballistic missiles were produced. The Iranians had big plans; they had been hoping to produce 20,000 ballistic missiles; now they can produce none. It doesn’t mean they won’t begin again to build such plants, but of course, the IDF will attack at will to destroy any of those new plants. Rinse, repeat — what can the poor Iranians do against such a relentless enemy?
At the first sign of attempts by Iran to resume either its uranium enrichment program, or to rebuild its ballistic missile plants, the IDF will be in the skies over Iran wreaking as much damage as it can. And President Trump has also pledged that Iran will not be allowed — will in fact be attacked again by the American military — if it tries to restart its nuclear program. The ballistic missile program is apparently being left for the Israelis to deal with.
Even in Europe, scales fell, at least briefly, from the eyes of its leaders, as they fully take in the threat that Iran posed to them, with its intercontinental ballistic missiles, which are not needed to attack Israel, but exactly what are needed to hit targets in Europe. That is what German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had in mind when, at the NATO summit, he praised Israel’s actions in Iran: “This is the dirty work that Israel is doing for all of us. I can only say that I have the utmost respect for the Israeli army and the Israeli leadership for having had the courage to do this.”
How long — how many years — given the widespread discontent in Iran, will it take for the regime to fall?
gravenimage says
Iran’s Ballistic Missile Program Was Also an IDF Target
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Good to hear!
James Lincoln says
Just wondering if part of the reason for Iran’s nuclear program was to divert attention away from its ballistic missile program.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Let’s see how long it lasts. This morning, I was listening to Gordon Chang describe how President Xi is losing control – has already lost control of the PLA and its top commander has purged his allies. In the meantime, in Russia, the reason they’re dragging their feet is that Putin dreads what will happen the day after. All 3 of these regimes seem ready to fall
Billy says
Islam and its Muslims are a continuous, terroristic threat of discrimination, segregation, and violence to all Non-Muslims as taught in Sharia, Islamic Law, and in Islam’s Quran(Quran 9:5, 29, 111, etc.).
ISLAM IS AHISTORICAL, FALLACIOUS, DECEITFUL, AND POLITICAL to conquer and to subjugate Non-Muslims(Quran 3:54; 7:99; 8:30, etc.). There is NO MECCA, NO MUHAMMAD, and NO QURAN in the 7th century AD in Saudi Arabia despite the Muslim Standard Islamic Narrative(SIN) claims. Thus, Islam is a FACTITIOUS IDEOLOGY and CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION imaginatively fabricated over time into the 21sth century, and there is NO PEACE with Islam and its Murderous Muslims(Quran 8:39: 9:5, 29, 111, etc.).
Allah’s cursed Islam, a CRIMINAL-TERRORIST ENTERPRISE and a MURDEROUS-DEMONIC CULT OF BELIEVERS, Terrorist Muslim Soldiers for Allah, continually fund, promote, and practice ideological subversion, propaganda, bigotry, discrimination, deceit, mass murder, intimidation, supremacy, segregation, hatred, incitement to violence, criminality, genocide, victimhood, censorship, and terrorism as taught in Islamic Law, Sharia, and in Islam’s Quran(Quran 5:14,35; 8:60; 9:41, 88, etc.).
Allah’s specious ideology in Qur’an 8:39 commands Muslims to fight Non-Muslims until they surrender to Muslim rule when it says, “And engage in war with them[Non-Muslims] until there will not be sedition and the religion will be completely to Allah…” Muslims are encouraged to conquer and subjugate every territory for Islam. Hence, Islam and Muslim actions should be legally challenged with a multi-faceted force of Western Laws like Muslims wield against Westerners via Tax Exempt Organizations, the Media and Hollywood, Foreign Funding, etc. because Islam violates and is incompatible with Western Laws(Quran 8:60; 9:5,29, 111; 47:4; 49:15; 60:4 etc.).
Like a Foreign Terrorist Organization(FTO) designated by the USA Secretary of State, Islam and its Muslims function as a MUSLIM TERRORIST ORGANIZATION(MTO) fighting against Non-Muslims to make Islam supreme and NOT A PEACEFUL religion under Western Law because Islam funds, teaches, and promotes Terrorist Criminal Organizations with Muslims as Terrorists for Allah(Quran 2:191; 4:89, 91; 9:5,29, 111; 49:15, etc.).
Allah’s Islam, a supremacist Antichrist Ideology, is using Western Freedoms and Laws against Non-Muslims to conquer Non-Muslims under Islamic Rule. Non-Muslims should legally designate Islam as a Muslim Terrorist Organization(MTO) where Mosques, Muslim Schools, Islamic Centers, Sharia Courts, and Muslim Organizations are banned because of their incitement of segregation and discrimination to fight back against ISLAMIZATION, Muslim subjugation, and tyrannical violence(Quran 4:65; 9:5,29,111; 60:4; 98:6-7, etc.).
Allah’s Muslims desire to make Islam supreme. Sahih Bukhari 3126 says, “… the Prophet said, He who fights so that Allah’s Word(ie. Islam) should be superior, fights for Allah’s Cause.” Allah, the Supreme Destroyer, in Quran 9:111 says, “Surely Allah has purchased from the believers[Muslims] their souls and their money so that they may have the garden[Heavenly Paradise]. They engage in war for the sake of Allah[ie. Allah’s Cause), so they kill and are killed…”. Allah teaches that Death By Jihad leads to Muslim Paradise and Allah’s reward. Allah in Qur’an 3:169 says, “And do not consider those who were killed for the sake of Allah as dead. Yet they are alive with their lord, receiving their provision.”
Under Islam and Islamic Law, Muslims have the Legal Right and the Quranic Duty to terrorize Non-Muslims because neglecting this QURANIC DUTY is a CRIME of Blasphemy, Unbelief, and Infidelity against tyrannical Allah. Jihad means warfare against Non-Muslims to ESTABLISH ISLAM’S RELIGION AS SUPREME(Quran 3:115, 151; 9:5, 29, 111; Muslim Law Manual: “Reliance of the Traveller”, o9.0, etc.).
More specifically, Islam, a terroristic-totalitarian way of life, is a Muslim Terrorist Ideology and Murderous, Criminal Enterprise of: incitement, intolerance, continuous war, discrimination, oppression, segregation, slavery, supremacy, genocide, polygamy, propaganda, deceit, hatred, sedition, terrorism, and violence against all Non-Muslims as taught in the Quran(Quran 2:191, 208,216; 4:65, 89,91, 95, 115; 5:14,64; 8:12,39,60, 74; 9:5,21,29,36, 41,49, 73,88, 111,123; 21:92; 47:4; 49:15; 60:4; 61:9-11; 62:6; 89:14; etc.).
Jan Jent Andela says
I have the greatest respect and admiration for our friends ( Israel ) a tiny nation amongst the dessert rats in the middle east , who are not only defending their own existence Israel , but also our own western democracy . we need to provide them with what ever it takes to perhaps safeguard our freedoms , which were fought for in previous conflicts . (GOOD WORK ISRAEL ) thank you and God Bless you