By Ismail Al Sharif
The weak one is the fool who doesn’t know the secret of his strength – Naguib Mahfouz
During the Al-Aqsa War, while Iran was launching its missiles toward Israel, some were preoccupied with mocking them, describing them as nothing more than “fireworks.” However, the unfolding events and the passage of time proved those missiles were not a fleeting display or a celebratory scene in the sky. The proof is that US President Donald Trump demanded the end of the Iranian missile program, just as he demanded the end of its nuclear program, and even declared that destroying this missile program was among the reasons for the war.
Western and Zionist media, along with the so-called “armchair critics,” have always downplayed the Iranian missile program, claiming that these projectiles caused negligible damage to Israel in the 12-day war, most were intercepted, and those that penetrated air defenses left no significant mark. However, the truth contradicts these claims, as shown by the Israeli press and other independent sources, which explains the insistence on eliminating this program by Trump and Israeli Prime Mine Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In the 12-day war, Iranian missiles reached the heart of Tel Aviv, striking hundreds of buildings, while air defenses failed to intercept dozens of these missiles. The Times of Israel reported at least 61 buildings were damaged, and six were later demolished. Haaretz reported an entire Tel Aviv neighborhood was completely destroyed. In Bat Yam, about 30 kilometers from Tel Aviv, at least 200 buildings were severely damaged by a single missile strike.
The attacks were not limited to civilian targets but extended to highly sensitive strategic sites. According to GlobalSecurity.org, citing The Telegraph and satellite radar data, the missiles directly hit several sensitive Israeli facilities, including the Tel Nof Air Base, a logistics base, and an intelligence-gathering center. According to a report published by the Israeli Ynet News, all operations at the Haifa Bay refinery were halted following a direct hit by an Iranian missile. A power station at the same site was also damaged, and three people were killed. The Military Intelligence School at the Moshe Dayan military base was also targeted. In Rehovot, about 20 kilometers from Tel Aviv, the Weizmann Institute of Science was hit, with approximately 90% of its buildings damaged. The institute’s director explained that 22 laboratories were completely destroyed and 25% of the institute’s activities were suspended. Reports indicate that the attack was deliberate due to its connection to military research.
The reality is that Israel possesses vital strategic sites within a small geographical area, an advantage that has become a fundamental vulnerability. It is certain that Iran’s missile arsenal is capable of reaching these sites, to the point where Iran might not even need a nuclear weapon to inflict widespread destruction on the entity.
What if it were able to target more sensitive facilities, such as desalination plants that provide more than 65% of the entity’s water, or oil refineries that supply industry with energy, or power plants? Then the war could be decided in a single strike. While such an escalation could expose Iran to an existential response that might even lead to its annihilation, the strategic loss it would inflict on the entity could be so immense that recovery would take years.
Therefore, analysts generally agree that Iran would be the losing party in this confrontation. However, Tehran’s missiles may hold surprises capable of turning the tables and changing the course of the war. Despite the series of assassinations targeting senior Iranian military leaders, including the Supreme Leader and Chief of Staff, and despite American and Israeli claims of having destroyed a large number of ballistic missile launch sites, Tehran appears confident, as if it is concealing cards yet to be played. If this is true, the confrontation could spiral out of control and defy all calculations.
This piece first appeared in the Arabic Addustour daily.
CrossFireArabia
