Why the US Postponed an 'Attack on Iran'... a 'Threat' of 2,000 Ballistic Missiles

WSJ assesses Iran’s missile arsenal

“2,000 missiles within range of the Middle East”

Iran’s ballistic missiles are seen as having emerged as a powerful “weapon” in nuclear talks with the United States.

According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 8th (local time), Iran has been pressing a hard line in the negotiations by leaning on its missile capabilities, while tightening internal control to shore up its ranks.

The paper reported that Iran possesses about 2,000 medium-range ballistic missiles capable of striking targets across the Middle East. It added that Iran has also deployed large numbers of short-range missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles that could hit US bases in the Gulf and vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.

Experts say this missile force serves to deter a military clash with the United States. With Iran’s missile-strike capability able to threaten the entire Middle East, the analysis goes, Washington cannot easily launch an attack on Iran.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior director at the Washington-based think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), said, “With a lack of meaningful air power and air defenses, and with its nuclear capabilities severely degraded, ballistic missiles are now the core of Iran’s deterrence.”

WSJ said the United States views Iran’s missile threat as serious. US President Donald Trump is said to have postponed at the last minute a plan to attack Iran that had been slated for mid-last month, taking into account concerns about Iranian missile retaliation and the situation of forces on the ground.

The US military has since maintained a heightened posture while deploying additional missile defense systems to the region.

Iran, too, is showcasing its missile capabilities during talks with the United States. At the same time, it continues to firmly reject Washington’s demand that it abandon uranium enrichment.

Kim Dae-young, Hankyung.com reporter kdy@hankyung.com