Peloni: The image of rockets felling on innocent Israelis should be burnt into the minds of those in Europe and America, as Iran’s further development of longer ranged rockets is not aimed at reaching Israel. Indeed, the threat which the West has seen fit to maintain over Israel is grasping to reach the Europeans and American shorelines, something which should be realized and acted upon before such a scenario comes to be realized.
by Majid Rafizadeh • Gatestone Institute • January 3, 2026
Since the end of Iran’s 12-day war with Israel, there has been mounting evidence that its regime has been ramping up missile production. These missiles – now part of reportedly the largest missile arsenal in the Middle East – can reach not only regional targets but also the U.S. and Europe, a senior Iranian lawmaker has openly boasted. Pictured: Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian looks on as a ‘Qasem Soleimani’ missile is displayed during a military parade in Tehran, on September 21, 2024. (Photo: Iranian Airborne Cruise Missile (By Tasnim News Agency, CC BY 4.0, Wikipedia)
- These missiles – now part of reportedly the largest missile arsenal in the Middle East – can reach not only regional targets but also the U.S. and Europe, a senior Iranian lawmaker has openly boasted. The regime does not just brag about these weapons; it uses them.
- This trajectory should deeply concern the United States, Europe, and other democracies. A regime that openly calls for the destruction of Israel, supplies weapons to violent proxies, and supports Russia’s war effort against Ukraine cannot be allowed to expand such a missile capability unchecked.
- Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and other armed groups aligned with Iran have all benefited from Iran’s “beneficence.”
- With the weapons it is supplying to Russia, Iran’s drones and related technologies are already devastating Ukraine. This alone should dispel any illusion that Iran’s ballistic missile program is a purely regional issue.
- Increased sanctions, unified pressure, and a clear willingness to keep all options — especially a military one — on the table are not acts of aggression. They are measures of responsibility in the face of a growing and irrefutable threat.
Since the end of Iran’s 12-day war with Israel, there has been mounting evidence that its regime has been ramping up missile production. Tehran’s perspective is straightforward: if its nuclear program has become more vulnerable, then its missile arsenal must increase as a compensatory tool of power.
It is no secret that the Iranian regime has been accelerating and expanding its ballistic missile program at an alarming pace, and has invested heavily in improving the range, accuracy, survivability, and payload capacity of its missiles. These missiles – now part of reportedly the largest missile arsenal in the Middle East – can reach not only regional targets but also the U.S. and Europe, a senior Iranian lawmaker has openly boasted.
Let’s invert the meaning of the above quote and view it from Russia’s point of view:
This trajectory need not concern the United States, Europe, and other regimes. A regime that openly calls for the destruction of Israel, supplies weapons to violent proxies, but doesn’t support Russia’s war effort against Ukraine can be allowed to expand such a missile capability unchecked.
What we are left with is all too realistic. If it can harm the land of Israel, who cares? Having cancelled this down to the least common cause, Israel will need to take care for itself without considering any other countries. Of course, those who care to join in to destroy the Iranian rocket capabilities are welcome, but there is no need to wait for them because, as we already know, they will be reluctant to be seen as fighting allies of Israel or even simply reluctant to get their fingers dirty unless they themselves are actually attacked.
Iranian rocket progress is impressive.
I think that Russia may be supporting them and Russian scientists and engineers helping their Iranian colleagues. It would make sense for Russia, and would explain Iran’s rapid progress.