Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet US President Donald Trump on December 29, during which he is likely to brief the American leader on what Israel sees as Iran’s renewed efforts to expand its ballistic missile programme, according to a report by NBC News citing sources.
Israeli officials are increasingly concerned that Iran is ramping up production of ballistic missiles and attempting to rebuild facilities damaged during the recent Israel-Iran conflict earlier this year. Netanyahu is expected to raise these concerns with Trump and argue that decisive action is needed to counter the growing threat, the report said, citing a person with direct knowledge of the plans and four former US officials briefed on the matter.
Iran Rebuilding Missile Arsenal
The reports started to come just months after Israel and Iran were engaged in nearly two weeks of direct hostilities, during which Israel reportedly inflicted significant damage on Iran’s missile infrastructure. However, Israeli officials now fear that Tehran is actively repairing its air defence systems and restoring missile production capabilities.
Sources also told NBC News that Israel believes Iran is attempting to reconstruct nuclear-related sites that were hit by US strikes in June during the conflict. While those sites were described as severely damaged, Israeli officials reportedly view Iran’s missile programme as the more immediate concern.
Case For US Action
Netanyahu is expected to argue that Iran’s actions threaten not only Israel but also regional stability and US strategic interests. He may also present Trump with options for potential US involvement or support in any future military action against Iran, the report added.
Responding to the report, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Iranian government had corroborated the US assessment. American strikes under “Operation Midnight Hammer” had completely destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
She added that President Trump has made it clear that any renewed attempt by Iran to pursue nuclear weapons would prompt swift military action.