Mofaz: Israel has adequate defense against Iranian missile threat

Israel Insider ^ | 7/22/2003 | Israel Insider

[Israel Insider]

Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said that Israel has the means to respond defensively and to deter a possible Iranian missile strike. The IDF's Arrow anti-missile system can adequately defend the country against Iran's newly upgraded Shihab-3 ballistic missiles, he said. Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Iran was "trying to do everything" to develop nuclear weapons and called on Europe to help counter the threat.

On Monday, U.S. President George W. Bush accused Iran and Syria of supporting terrorism and undermining the Middle East peace process. "Syria and Iran continue to harbor and assist terrorists. This behavior is completely unacceptable, and states that support terror will be held accountable," Bush said, after hosting Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi at his Crawford, Texas ranch.

Mofaz told reporters on Monday that Israel was "taking all steps necessary to counter the [Iranian missile] threat as much as possible. Israel has the necessary means to respond defensively, as well as deterrent capability. The Shihab-3 and other projects reveal that Iran is eager to achieve nonconventional and even nuclear capability, but Israel is prepared."

Mofaz said Israel's Arrow system could effectively defend the country against the Shihab missiles, which were upgraded to now have a range of 1,300 kilometers (810 miles), giving them the ability to strike at any target in Israel.

Over the weekend, Iran announced officially that its Revolutionary Guards were now equipped with the Shihab-3 missiles. Earlier in July, Iran conducted a successful, final test of the missile. After the launch, Israeli officials said they were "very concerned" with Iran's missile capabilities.

"We are very concerned, especially since we know that Iran is seeking to acquire the nuclear weapon," government spokesman Avi Pazner said this month. "We informed our American and European friends of our concern. Everything must be done to prevent Iran from acquiring the nuclear weapon. The combination of the Shihab-3 and the nuclear weapon would be a very serious threat on the stability of the region," he added.

"Iran aspires to superpower status," a senior intelligence official told Haaretz. "The combination of the Shihab-3, the accelerated nuclear program and the nature of the Iranian regime is all worrying."

Iran's nuclear program was on top of the agenda when Shalom met his European counterparts in Brussels on Monday. "I told them that Iran is threatening the stability not only of the region but of the entire world," Shalom said.

"Iran is now trying to do everything to have a nuclear weapon and that can damage and threaten not only the Middle East. It can threaten Europe, the southern part of Russia," Shalom said. "The European Union should take a key role in the last efforts to prevent them from having this ability," he added.

In a joint declaration, the European foreign ministers demanded Iran's "urgent and unconditional acceptance" of an additional protocol under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to provide for surprise inspections of its nuclear sites. The ministers "decided to review future steps of the cooperation between the EU and Iran in September," the statement said.

[finnman69]

Israel's defense includes 200 nuclear weapons, likely including some neutron bombs to sterlilize troublesome areas.

[Britton J Wingfield]

I wouldn't mind seeing an unsuccessful launch against Israel. Iran's nuclear reactor would be a smoking wreck shortly thereafter.