New Israeli Rockets 'Can Reach Anywhere in the Middle East' - Defense Chief
In February, Lieberman instructed the country's military to build ground-to-ground missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles).
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has announced Israel's purchase of sophisticated rockets which he claimed are capable of reaching "anywhere in the Middle East," according to Haaretz.
Lieberman referred to a recently clinched multi-million dollar deal between the Defense Ministry and the Israeli military sector for the purchase of the high-precision rockets.
"We are making the IDF [Israeli Defense Forces] stronger and more sophisticated," he pointed out.
The statement was made amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, with the Jewish state expressing concern over Iran's alleged attempts to establish a permanent military presence in Syria and thus expand its clout throughout theregion.
Tehran, which refuses to recognize Israel, denies the claims, noting that the country has only been sending military advisers to train troops loyal to Damascus since Iran supports Syrian President Bashar Assad in his struggle against the terrorist groups that are active in the country.
Israel, for its part, continues to view Iranian activities as a threat to national security, also accusing Tehran of going ahead with attempts to obtain nuclear weapons despite the signing of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which mandates that the Islamic Republic must limit its nuclear activity to non-military uses.
The IDF, which was established on May 31, 1948, two weeks after Israel's declaration of independence, currently numbers about 125,000 troops.
The army's doctrine is based on a belief that "Israel cannot afford to lose a single war", a goal which Israeli military officials claim can only be achieved through a defensive strategy and the rapid mobilization of overwhelming force to take the war to the enemy.
- Source : Sputnik News
