Israel's Oct. 26 attack reportedly destroyed key components of Iranian missile production

Israel's October 26 attacks on Iran targeted critical components of Iran's ballistic missile program, according to three Israeli sources.

The sources disclosed that Israel's recent strikes destroyed 12 "planetary mixers," essential equipment used to produce solid fuel for long-range ballistic missiles, which constitute a substantial portion of Iran's missile arsenal, Caliber.Az reports, citing Axios. 

"The destruction of the equipment severely damages Iran's ability to renew its missile stockpile and could deter Iran from further massive missile strikes against Israel," the sources stated.

A senior US official corroborated this assessment, confirming that the Israeli strike has crippled Iran's missile production capability.

Between the lines, the Israeli sources indicated that these sophisticated mixers are not produced domestically in Iran but are instead procured from China. The remanufacturing process for these mixers could take at least a year, further hampering Iran's missile capabilities. Although Iran maintains a significant stockpile of ballistic missiles, Israeli sources noted that the inability to produce new missiles would restrict its capacity to replenish the arsenals of its regional proxies, including Hezbollah and the Houthis.

The Israeli strikes also targeted four S-300 air defence batteries situated in strategic locations that protect Tehran and various nuclear and energy facilities. In response, the Iranian military stated that the Israeli strike originated from Iraqi airspace, acknowledging that some radar systems sustained limited damage that is currently being repaired. However, the Iranian military did not report any damage to missile or drone production sites, emphasizing that Iran reserves the right to respond.

Israeli sources confirmed that the airstrikes were executed from both Syrian and Iraqi airspace, with some attacks occurring close to the Iraqi border with Iran. The Israeli Air Force also targeted a drone production facility and conducted what they termed a "symbolic" strike on a site in Parchin, historically associated with nuclear weapons research and development.

In light of these developments, President Biden addressed reporters, stating, "The Israeli strike only hit military targets in Iran, and I hope it will be the end of the exchange of attacks between Israel and Iran." He convened a call with Vice President Kamala Harris and their national security team to discuss the latest Middle East developments following Israel's response to Iran's earlier attack on October 1.

Biden underscored the need for vigilance, urging, "Every effort should be taken to protect our forces and help defend Israel against any potential responses from Iran and its proxies."

In a related diplomatic exchange, the Prime Minister of Qatar expressed grave concern over the escalating tensions in the region during a phone conversation with the Iranian Foreign Minister. "All parties in the region need to keep maximum restraint and avoid any further steps that could destabilize the region," the Qatari Prime Minister stated, as reported by the Qatari Foreign Ministry.

Notably, after a week of planning, Israel launched an attack on Iran on October 26. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the airstrikes targeted military plants involved in the production of rockets used to strike Israel, multiple installations, including surface-to-air missile systems and air defence facilities, according to the IDF. The operation involved over 100 aircraft operating from a distance of 2,000 kilometres.

Israel said the attack was a retaliation for Iran's attack on Israel on October 1, which Iran claimed was an act of "self-defence" in retaliation for Israel's assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and IRGC general Abbas Nilforoushan.

By Khagan Isayev