Iran has rebuilt most of its missile arsenal and is approaching pre–“Operation Rising Lion” levels, according to Israeli security officials.
Less than six months after last June’s war, Tehran has accelerated production of surface-to-surface missiles and is expected to amass within another few months approximately 2,000 missiles capable of reaching Israel, Channel 13 military correspondent Alon Ben-David reported on Nov 21.
Much of the remaining arsenal, stored deep in underground tunnel networks, survived Israeli strikes, and Iran is replenishing the rest, according to the report. One key lesson Iran appears to have drawn from the war, according to Israeli analysis, is the importance of operating deeper underground and relying less on missile accuracy.
During the 12-day conflict (June 13-24), Iran launched more than 550 ballistic missiles and over 1,000 UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) at Israel. Israeli strikes destroyed an additional 1,000 missiles and roughly 250 launchers, according to Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
Israel views the renewed buildup with growing concern. Ali Vaez, the Iran project director at the International Crisis Group, told The New York Times on Nov. 9 that during the next conflict, Iran plans “to fire 2,000 [missiles] at once to overwhelm Israeli defenses, not 500 over 12 days.” According to that report, Iran is also enhancing its air-defense network.
There are no signs yet that Iran has returned to enriching uranium, but it is cleaning up the sites damaged by Israel and reconstructing the infrastructure surrounding its nuclear program.
Iran also appears to be working on a new enrichment site known as Pickaxe Mountain, the Times reported.
A security official told Channel 13 that in a new conflict with Iran, “Israel will respond much more aggressively than in previous rounds.” He added that the Israeli military is preparing for a conflict lasting longer than 12 days, which will potentially involve targeting the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Already on June 27, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz directed the IDF to formulate an enforcement plan against Iran, including steps to preserve Israel’s aerial superiority, prevent the advancement of Tehran’s nuclear and missile programs, and respond to the Islamic Republic’s support for terrorism.
“We will act regularly to thwart threats of this nature,” said Katz.
“I suggest the defanged head of the snake in Tehran understand and beware: ‘Operation Rising Lion’ was only the preview of a new Israeli policy,” he continued. “After Oct. 7, immunity is over.”
