The Missile Distraction's Enduring Utility
When Benjamin Netanyahu approaches a US administration, particularly one led by Donald Trump, the narrative consistently spotlights Iran's missile program as the paramount threat to regional stability. This familiar pronouncement, amplified by outlets like the New York Times, paints a picture of an aggressive Iran unilaterally destabilizing the Middle East, demanding immediate and robust
counter-action from Washington. Yet, this framing conveniently ignores decades of historical context. Iran's development of these capabilities, primarily conventional ballistic missiles, came as a direct response to the brutal Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), during which Saddam Hussein’s regime received extensive Western support and launched chemical attacks with impunity. Tehran's experience
underscored an urgent need for self-defense, a capability denied to it by a long-standing Western arms embargo. Unlike Israel's estimated 90 nuclear warheads, as confirmed by former IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, Iran possesses no nuclear weapons and has no such capacity to delivery them with these missiles, as validated by numerous IAEA inspections. This persistent focus on Iran's
conventional deterrence, while overlooking Israel's undeclared nuclear arsenal and its frequent military incursions into neighboring sovereign states, exemplifies a flagrant double standard. The narrative deflects from the foundational issues of occupation and foreign interference that truly fuel regional tensions. It's a strategic maneuver designed to secure continued military and political