Jim Geraghty of National Review Online analyzes a significant development in the Iran war.
The good news is that the two intermediate-range ballistic missiles that the Iranian military fired at the U.S.-U.K. joint base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean did not hit their targets. The further good news is that since Friday, we haven’t detected any additional missile launches like that. The bad news is that the Iranians have now demonstrated that they can fire missiles about 2,500 miles away, which means that if they have more missiles like that, they could threaten Europe. The British defense establishment has good reason to worry. Meanwhile, this proves the Iranians lie in negotiations . . . but this morning, the president says, via Truth Social, that the U.S. and Iran have had “VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS REGARDING A COMPLETE AND TOTAL RESOLUTION OF OUR HOSTILITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST.” The Iranians say they’re not participating in any conversations. …
… This is a significant development in the war.
First, it means that Iran has the capacity to build, deploy, and fire at least two of these missiles. With missiles that can travel this far, Iran can now threaten most of Europe, with Paris and London just outside that 2,500-mile range. (For perspective, the distance between Los Angeles and New York is 2,451 miles.)
The Daily Telegraph reports that the British defense establishment woke up this weekend to realize that, at least for now, they have no effective defense against an incoming Iranian intermediate-range ballistic missile. …
… I understand why a Labour government wouldn’t want a public panic and would downplay the likelihood of Iran targeting the U.K., but you don’t improve your situation by denying the problem. …
… What’s left of the Iranian regime will make promises that they have no intention of keeping, lie at the negotiating table and in television interviews, cheat, steal, block international inspectors — you name it.
