EXCLUSIVE: A senior Israeli defense figure told BNN that Iran may already possess operational chemical
By Bernie,
EXCLUSIVE: A senior Israeli defense figure told BNN that Iran may already possess operational chemical and biological warheads for its ballistic missiles. The IDF confirmed to BNN that the Home Front Command has not changed its civil defense directives.
Brigadier General (Res.) Amir Avivi, founder of the Israel Defense and Security Forum and an adviser to the Israeli government on defense matters, said the threat is "not theoretical." He told BNN there is "a good chance they already have it" and that "this is something that we believe may be operational."
Avivi said Iran has undertaken a massive expansion of its ballistic missile production following the 12-Day War of June 2025, driven by what Tehran views as a significant blow to its deterrence. "The Iranians really want revenge and retaliation," Avivi told BNN. "They believe if they hit Israel really hard, this will rebuild their stance and deterrence internally and externally." He said the missiles currently in production are more advanced than those fired at Israel during the 12-Day War, with warheads including precision, conventional, and potentially chemical and biological variants.
Avivi outlined three scenarios for a confrontation with Iran. The first, which he said Israel "cannot allow," is a preemptive Iranian strike involving a large number of ballistic missiles, some of which "may be non-regular warheads including chemical." The second is an Israeli preemptive strike. The third, which Avivi said he expects, is an American-led military operation. "I believe that the decision to deal with Iran and take down the regime has been taken by the US, and that we are moving towards decisive war," he said.
When asked by BNN why the Home Front Command has not distributed gas masks or issued updated guidance on chemical threats, Avivi said Israel would prioritize offensive and defensive military capabilities. He said he does not believe Israel will address gas mask distribution at this time. Asked whether the Israeli public should be concerned, Avivi said: "Israel has really good air defense and we will be able to deal with this."
The IDF International Press Desk told BNN: "There has been no change in the Home Front Command's directives."
Avivi's remarks followed a public IDSF briefing on Monday where he stated that Iran is "continuing preparations for war and the production of ballistic missiles, including chemical and biological ballistic missiles, which are very, very dangerous and need to be dealt with."
Trump administration Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said Sunday that Iran is "probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material." Iran is expected to submit a proposal to the United States on Tuesday ahead of continued nuclear negotiations on Thursday.
Topics: Iran, Missile Defense & Alerts, IDF
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