Iran’s ballistic program no longer a regional threat, Israel warns
Shafaq News- Tehran
Israel on Sunday escalated its warnings over Iran’s military trajectory, saying Tehran’s ballistic missile program and pursuit of nuclear capabilities now pose a threat extending far beyond the Middle East, with Europe and other regions increasingly within range.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Iran’s long-range missile ambitions and nuclear aspirations constitute “a clear danger to peace in the region and in the world,” arguing that the issue is no longer confined to Israel or its immediate neighborhood.
Speaking in Jerusalem, Sa’ar praised Paraguay’s decision to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization, noting that similar steps have been taken by the European Union and Ukraine. He accused the Iranian leadership of destabilizing the Middle East and exporting violence beyond the region.
“The huge number of long-range ballistic missiles that the Iranian regime seeks to produce on a massive scale endangers not only Israel,” Sa’ar said. “European states are also within the missiles’ range.” He added that Iran has already demonstrated its willingness to use missiles against other countries in the Middle East.
The warnings were echoed by Yuval Steinitz, chairman of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and a former Israeli energy and intelligence minister, who said Iran’s missile ambitions and internal pressures could push it toward highly dangerous decisions. In remarks to Israeli media, Steinitz said Iran appears caught between a desire to buy time to prevent internal collapse and what he described as “suicidal impulses.” He warned that “Tehran could seek to strike US allies or even NATO members if tensions spiral into open war.”
Steinitz argued that any future agreement with Iran must impose strict limits, insisting that no deal should constrain Israel’s freedom of action unless it addresses Iran’s nuclear and missile programs in full. As long as Iranian leaders continue to call for Israel’s destruction, he said, Tehran’s capabilities would remain an existential and international threat rather than a contained regional challenge.
The remarks followed the conclusion on Friday of US-Iran nuclear talks in Muscat, held under Omani sponsorship between a US delegation led by Envoy Steve Witkoff and an Iranian team headed by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, marking the first round of negotiations since US strikes in June on sites linked to Iran’s nuclear program during the 12-day war between Tel Aviv and Tehran.
Last week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington wants the talks to also address Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missiles, support for armed groups across the region, and its domestic governance. Tehran has rejected that broader agenda, insisting the negotiations remain confined to the nuclear file, noting that it entered the talks “from a position of strength” to reach a fair and mutually acceptable understanding.
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