Spencer Ackerman of the Washington Post, in a February 24, 2012 essay, quotes intelligence officials: "Calm down, Iran's missiles can't (and won't) hit the East Coast." Former CIA Mideast analyst Paul Pillar assures us that, "the intelligence community does not believe the Iranians are anywhere close to having an ICBM".
Even when the U.S. acknowledges that Iranian missiles can hit targets throughout the Middle East and much of Europe, especially U.S. allies and key security facilities, some intelligence analysts find a way to make such missiles seem less threatening.
An Iranian "Khalij Fars" mobile ballistic missile on parade in Iran. (Image source: Wikimedia Commons)
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U.S. intelligence reports to Congress, for example, proclaim in all seriousness that Iran's missiles, and even its nuclear programs, exist merely to ensure regime survival.
The Arms Control Association, for instance, approvingly quotes an administration report that, "Since the revolution, Iran's first priority has consistently remained the survival of the regime" and that is why they are building and deploying ballistic missiles.
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