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Analyzing the Impact of Preventive Strikes Against Iran's Nuclear Facilities

(Center for Strategic and International Studies) Anthony H. Cordesman and Abdullah Toukan - This report addresses how the U.S. could take the lead in carrying out a preventive military strike against Iran If all peaceful options have been exhausted and Iran has left no other means to convince it to stop or change its course in pursuing nuclear weapons. It also examines how the U.S. could provide a defense umbrella against any Iranian air and missile retaliation that would be aimed at U.S. military targets and allies in the region, in particular the GCC states. The study shows that the initial strike should be against key Iranian nuclear enrichment and research facilities, ballistic missile bases located around the country, numerous mobile ballistic missile launchers dispersed around Iran and main ballistic missile production facilities. At the same time, it shows that the payloads required to hit underground enrichment facilities with a high level of damage, to carry out the scale of initial and follow-up attacks, and providing resources such as near real time intelligence required to detect and destroy other potentially lethal Iranian military weapons, for instance ballistic missiles that could be used in a retaliation, can only be carried out by the U.S. The U.S. would be the only country that has the air power, support capability, and mix of sea-air forces in the Gulf to continue a sustained campaign over a period of time and restrike if after an initial battle damage assessment it is found that further strike sorties are required.
2012-09-11 00:00:00
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