IDF chief: Iran's missile arsenal would've tripled if we didn't act

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir gave an update on the course of the war with Iran on Friday afternoon following the broad ballistic missile strikes across Israel. Zamir indicated that Iran's rapid development of its missile program had been one of the primary reasons for launching the preemptive strikes. "When we launched this campaign, Iran possessed approximately 2,500 surface-to-surface missiles and was producing them at a rapid pace. According to estimates, within two years, it would have had around 8,000 missiles."

"The combination of threats – from the nuclear program to advanced firepower to missile systems – forced us to launch a preemptive strike," Zamir said the IDF would not stand idly by and allow threats to develop.

"The operation was made possible thanks to the convergence of operational and strategic conditions, some of which were temporary. Delaying any further would have meant the risk of losing these conditions and entering a campaign in the future at a clear disadvantage." "Our enemies fail to understand that the Israeli home front is the source of the IDF’s strength, not its weakness. This week, I visited several impact sites and saw the devastation with my own eyes. My heart goes out to the families of the casualties and the injured."    (Read More)