Military Expert: Iran Plans for Long Battle

Military and strategic expert Major-General Fayez al-Duwairi believes that Iran is planning a long-term war, while Washington and Tel Aviv are planning to stop the war as quickly as possible, using the principle of “force imposes peace.”

US President Donald Trump announced early Sunday morning that US forces carried out a successful airstrike on three nuclear facilities in Iran. He noted that the sites bombed included Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, hours after several US Air Force B-2 bombers took off from a base in the United States and crossed the Pacific Ocean.

In response, Iran declared the US attack on its nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan a “brutal act that violates international law,” and called for an emergency meeting of the Security Council to condemn the attack.

Major General al-Duwairi said that Iran’s strikes against Israel today were not a response to the US strike. He described the response as clear, powerful, and effective, and a clear message from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard that Iran has the ability to respond and continues to rely on timing, diversity, and a refusal to wait.

Iran launched two missile salvos at Israel on Sunday morning, causing extensive damage to several sites. This came hours after the US Air Force bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities.

According to Al-Duwairi, in its response to Israel, Iran is obligated to rationalize the number of missiles, focus on their type, and find loopholes through which they can deliver them to their targets. It must also utilize its capabilities in an optimal and intelligent manner, as it is unable to confront Israel and the United States on an equal footing, given the balance of power.

Characteristics of the “Khaybar Shekan” missile that Iran used today, Major General Al-Duwairi explained that this missile is considered one of the most modern missiles and that its official announcement began in 2022. He noted that it has historical and ideological connotations, as its name means “Khaybar Breaker,” a reference to the Battle of Khaybar that led to the expulsion of the Jews from the Arabian Peninsula.

The Khaybar Shekan missile features a multi-warhead, maneuverable, solid-fuel missile with a reduced weight. Its speed ranges between Mach 7 and 9, its range is 1,450 kilometers, and it carries over 1,000 kilograms of high explosives. The Khaybar Shekan is also a derivative of the Fateh 110 missile.

On the other hand, Major General Al-Duwairi points out the importance of focusing Iranian missiles on central and northern Israel, given that these areas represent Israel’s strategic center of gravity.

Since June 13, Israel, with US support, has been waging an aggression against Iran, targeting nuclear facilities, missile bases, military leaders, and nuclear scientists.

Tehran responded by launching ballistic missiles and drones into Israeli territory, in the largest direct confrontation between the two sides amid rounds of negotiations as reported in Jo24.

  • CrossFireArabia

    CrossFireArabia

    Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.

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