Iranian Missile Drills Raise Israeli Concerns and Trigger Early Warnings

Israel warned the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump that recent Iranian missile drills could pave the way for a potential strike against Israel, according to the website Axios, at a time when intelligence assessments differ over the level of an imminent threat.

Iranian Missile Drills and Israeli Concerns

The website Axios quoted an Israeli official as saying, “We have detected indications that Iran is rebuilding its missile capabilities.” Israeli sources added that Tehran has already begun taking practical steps to rebuild its forces, but has not yet returned to the level it had reached before the last war.

According to the same sources, Israeli intelligence does not believe that the current pace of Iran’s rebuilding requires urgent action, but warned that the situation could become more pressing next year if Iran continues to develop its missile capabilities.

Diverging U.S. Intelligence Assessments

By contrast, Axios quoted a U.S. source as saying that American intelligence currently has no indication of an imminent Iranian attack against Israel, highlighting differing assessments between Washington and Tel Aviv.

Security Consultations Ahead of Washington Visit

In the same context, Israel’s public broadcaster reported, citing Israeli sources, that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held high-level security consultations on Iran ahead of his trip to the United States.

These developments followed reports indicating that Tehran has accelerated efforts to rebuild its ballistic missile program, amid regional and international monitoring of the implications for stability and security in the region.