In yet another example of the dangers presented to the world by the nation of Iran, Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami announced that their military had successfully tested the new Hoveizeh surface-to-surface cruise missile. The greatest danger of this new missile is that it flies at a very low altitude, hugging the ground in a flight path that renders it extremely difficult to detect and intercept. Debka File, an English language Israeli military intelligence news site, described the effectiveness of this type of missile stating “Iran is confident that neither the United States nor Israel has the answer to this threat.” Debka added that according to their military experts, “no military force in the world has so far found an effective means of intercepting cruise missiles before they strike unless they are of short range.” The added danger is that the Hoveizeh missile, launched from a mobile launcher, has an effective range of 800 miles, putting Israel and U.S. troops stationed in the region well within the range.
Added Danger of “Dirt Bomb” Delivery
Many experts are also concerned that this new missile system could be used to deliver a “dirty bomb” in the region. A “dirty bomb” is a conventional missile that is also loaded with a small amount of nuclear material rendering it as a means of creating a small scale nuclear weapon. These fears are increased with the Hoveizeh missile because as Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency recently reported, 30 tons of yellowcake (uranium ore) was shipped from a production plant in the city of Ardakan in central Iran to a uranium conversion facility in Isfahan. This is exactly the type of radioactive material that could easily be fashioned into a “dirty bomb.” As a result, many experts are rightly on edge.
Relevant Scripture Passages
As we so often point out, the increased threats coming from Iran always remind us of numerous scriptural passages such as those in which the prophet Daniel and Jesus both warned of wars and rumors of wars until the return of Christ (Daniel 9:26; Matthew 24:6). The Old Testament prophet Joel also fearfully predicted that the citizens of the world would be engaged in such a great degree of warfare that they would need to turn their everyday tools into weapons of war (Joel 3:9,10). With the threat of Iran boasting a missile that the U.S. and Israel cannot defend against, the predictions of the prophet Joel no longer seem so difficult to imagine. Yet, we must cling to the promise the Lord gave to His people that when confronted with war in their land, “ye shall be remembered before the Lord your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies” (Numbers 10:9). Nevertheless, with such dangerous potential involved with this new Hoveizeh missile, we should be in serious prayer.