This week marked a year since the beginning of the war between Hamas and Israel. Iran-backed militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah are engaged in the multi-front war with Israel in Gaza and on the border of Lebanon. And on Oct. 1st, Iran launched 200 ballistic missiles toward Israel.
It was Iran's second such attack this year, having launched about 300 missiles and drones toward Israel in April. Video footage circulating on social and news media showed explosions over Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as defensive missiles launched by Israel and the United States were said to have intercepted the Iranian missiles. They and the United States deemed their defense tactics a resounding success, downplaying the attack despite photographic evidence of more than 30 missiles hitting an airbase.
The United States has spent about $400 billion on developing and testing weapons designed to neutralize ballistic missiles attacks. But signs point to a fool's errand, particularly in the event of a nuclear strike. Matt Caplan joins this episode of WGLT's Twelve Thousand Bombs podcast with Fred Lamb, professor of physics, astronomy and arms control at the University of Illinois, to discuss the "fantasy" of ballistic missiles defense and the misrepresentation of their supposed success.
Iran does not possess a nuclear weapon, but Lamb said a hypothetical scenario involving nuclear weapons in the Middle East is more likely given the United States’ refusal to certify the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or “Iran Nuclear Deal.”
The Trump administration pulled the plug on an agreement that would have hampered Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons, loosening sanctions in return for their cooperation. Donald Trump pledged to negotiate a better deal but failed to get it done before leaving office. President Joe Biden has not successfully resuscitated JCPOA or been able to broker a new deal—and the vice president and democratic candidate for president, Kamala Harris, has not clearly established her position on Iran.
With a volatile situation in the Middle East, growing tensions with China and Russia, Lamb said the threat of nuclear war is the highest it’s been in decades, with the best and only option being diplomacy and joint agreement that world annihilation via a global nuclear conflict cannot ever be an option.
Listen to Twelve Thousand Bombs on the NPR App or wherever you get your podcasts. For a full transcript, visit this episode on Apple Podcasts.
