CIA Director John Ratcliffe recently cautioned American lawmakers that without the current systematic dismantling of Iran’s missile‑development infrastructure, Tehran would have been on track to acquire the capability to strike the continental United States.

By Hezy Laing

Israel has significantly degraded Iran’s long ballistic missile program, sometimes referred to as ICBM-related or intercontinental-capable development.

The effort focuses on launch infrastructure, production facilities, storage sites, and supporting industrial complexes.

These long-range missiles were not threatening Israel but rather the US and Europe.

In a stark briefing given recently to Congress, CIA Director John Ratcliffe offered one of the clearest and most urgent explanations to date for the necessity of the ongoing “Epic Fury” campaign against Iran.

Ratcliffe cautioned lawmakers that without the current, systematic dismantling of Iran’s missile‑development infrastructure, Tehran would have been on track to acquire the capability to strike the continental United States.

He stressed that the air operations underway are not merely tactical choices but a “vital” element of America’s national‑security posture, designed to stop a hostile government from gaining the reach to endanger U.S. population centers from across the globe.

U.S. intelligence agencies have been increasingly alarmed by Iran’s fast‑moving advances in its space‑launch and satellite programs—projects that often serve as a facade for work on intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) technology.

During his testimony, Ratcliffe made the stakes unmistakably clear: “Had these sites not been targeted, yes, they would have been capable of hitting the mainland United States with missiles.”

He explained that coalition airstrikes have been deliberately aimed at the core of Iran’s long‑range weapons enterprise, including specialized production facilities, research centers, and the fuel‑generation infrastructure required for multi‑stage missile systems.

According to Ratcliffe, the destruction of these assets is intended to push back Iran’s progress significantly, erasing years of technological gains and delaying any future long‑range missile capability by a substantial margin.

The intelligence community believes that without this intervention, Iran’s program would have crossed a critical threshold, giving it the ability to threaten the U.S. homeland directly.

The director’s testimony underscored that the current campaign is not only about neutralizing immediate threats but also about preventing Iran from reaching a point where it could credibly project strategic power far beyond the Middle East.

Destruction of Iran’s Long-Range Missile Infrastructure

Destruction of “Planetary Mixers”: Multiple sources reported that Israel destroyed 12 “planetary mixers” in October 2024. These specialized machines are essential for producing solid fuel for long-range ballistic missiles and are extremely difficult for Iran to replace or manufacture domestically.

Strikes on Strategic Space and Missile Centers: Reports from early 2026 indicate that the Israeli Air Force targeted the Iranian Space Research Center (ISRC) in Tehran, a site directly linked to ICBM development.

Parchin and Khojir Military Complexes: These facilities, central to Iran’s solid-propellant missile programs, were hit in multiple waves by both American and Israeli aircraft. Analysts note that striking the rocket motor casting facilities at these sites specifically cripples Iran’s ability to develop the heavy motors required for ICBMs.

As a result of all these operations, Israeli officials have described Iran’s long-range ballistic missile production capacity as “functionally defeated” or severely damaged during the conflict, limiting regeneration of the arsenal.