 "Is Israel preparing a fresh strike on Iran? Netanyahu to brief Trump on Tehran’s missile rebuild")
As tensions simmer in the West Asia following last year’s direct confrontation between Israel and Iran, fresh concerns are emerging in Jerusalem over Tehran’s military recovery. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to brief US President Donald Trump that Iran’s accelerating ballistic missile programme poses an immediate and growing threat, one that could force Israel to consider renewed military action if left unchecked.
According to US media reports, Israeli intelligence believes Iran is rapidly rebuilding missile production capabilities and may also be moving to restore nuclear infrastructure damaged in earlier strikes, raising the prospect of another high-stakes decision point for Washington and its closest regional ally.
During the discussions, Netanyahu is likely to argue that Iran’s expanding missile programme poses a threat not only to Israel but also to wider regional stability and U.S. interests, according to sources cited by NBC News.
Israeli officials are expected to outline a range of possible scenarios for U.S. involvement, including limited assistance, joint military action, or Israel acting independently.
While Israel is also closely watching indications that Iran may be attempting to rebuild nuclear enrichment facilities previously targeted by US strikes, officials reportedly see missile production as the more urgent challenge.
According to people familiar with Israeli intelligence assessments, Iran could ramp up ballistic missile output to as many as 3,000 missiles a month if left unchallenged, NBC News reported.
Quick Reads
View All“The missile threat is very real, and we were not able to stop all of them the last time,” a former Israeli official was quoted as saying.
Israeli officials are said to be increasingly alarmed by signs that Iran is accelerating its ballistic missile manufacturing and plan to raise the issue with Trump as part of efforts to justify possible military action. The concerns come months after a nearly two-week confrontation between Israel and Iran, during which Israel inflicted damage on Iran’s missile capabilities.