Israel warns US that Iranian missile drills could be a cover for a strike
Israel has conveyed warnings to the US administration about missile drills conducted by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to Israeli and American sources, these actions may be a cover for a possible attack on Israel. This was reported by The Public with reference to Axios.
The Israeli side emphasises that the current risk assessment is much tougher than before after the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023. Although intelligence only records the movement of rocket units, Israel is not ready to ignore even the scenario of an exercise. According to one source, the probability of an Iranian attack is below 50 per cent, but the risk is considered unacceptable.
The Chief of Staff of the IDF, General Eyal Zamir, had a telephone conversation with the Commander of the U.S. Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, and called for close coordination of defensive actions. Cooper subsequently arrived in Tel Aviv for consultations with Israel's military leadership.
American intelligence currently shows no signs of an imminent attack, but both sides recognise the risk of a false escalation, where both countries could act preemptively.
Against this backdrop, Binyamin Netanyahu is preparing to meet with Donald Trump on 29 December. It is expected that the key topics will include the resumption of Iran's missile programme and possible scenarios for 2026.
According to Israeli intelligence estimates, after the war in June, Iran had about 1,500 missiles instead of 3,000 before the conflict and about 200 launchers from the previous 400. Signs of a resumption of the programme are already being recorded, but the pace is not yet considered critical in the next two to three months.
Axios photo An Iranian woman stands between the US and Israeli flags during a ceremony in Tehran related to the state's «Lady of the Year» programme, which honours women's achievements. Photo: Morteza Nikubazl, NurPhoto via Getty Images
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