Israel strike crippled Iran's missile production, sources say
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Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, during the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Sept. 27, 2024. Photo: Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Israel's retaliatory strike against Iran took out a critical component in Iran's ballistic missile program, according to three Israeli sources.
Why it matters: The destruction of the equipment severely damages Iran's ability to renew its missile stockpile and could deter Iran from further massive missile strikes against Israel, the sources said.
- The sources said Israel hit 12 "planetary mixers" used to produce solid fuel for long-range ballistic missiles, which make up the bulk of Iran's missile arsenal.
- A senior U.S. official confirmed that the strike cripples Iran's missile production capability.
Between the lines: The Israeli sources said the mixers are highly sophisticated equipment that Iran cannot produce on its own and must purchase from China.
- Remanufacturing the mixers could take at least a year, the sources said.
- While Iran still has a big stockpile of ballistic missiles, Israeli sources say the fact that Iran can't produce new ballistic missiles would also limit its ability to replenish the ballistic missile stockpiles of its proxies like Hezbollah and the Houthis.
Driving the news: Israeli sources said the attack also hit four S-300 air defense batteries that were in strategic locations and protected Tehran and nuclear and energy facilities in Iran.
- The Iranian military said in a statement that the Israeli strike was conducted from Iraqi air space and added that several radar systems suffered limited damages that are in the process of being repaired.
- The Iranian military didn't mention any damages to missile or drone production sites and stressed Iran reserves the right to respond.
- Israeli sources confirmed the strikes were conducted from Syrian and Iraqi air space, some of them close to the Iraqi border with Iran.
- The sources said the Israeli air force attacked a factory for the production of drones and conducted a "symbolic" strike on a facility in the city of Parchin that was used in the past for the research and development of nuclear weapons.
What they're saying: President Biden told reporters on Saturday that the Israeli strike only hit military targets in Iran and that he hopes it will be the end of the exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran.
- He convened a call with Vice President Kamala Harris and their national security team Saturday morning to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East following Israel's response to Iran's attack on Oct. 1.
- Biden called for every effort to be taken to protect our forces and help defend Israel against any potential responses from Iran and its proxies.
The prime minister of Qatar spoke on the phone with the Iranian foreign minister and expressed grave concern about the escalation in the region after the Israeli strike.
- "All parties in the region need to keep maximum restraint and avoid any further steps that could destabilize the region," the Qatari prime minister said, according to a statement from the Qatari foreign ministry.