Iran is producing ballistic missiles armed with "chemical and biological capabilities" in preparation for a military confrontation with the United States and Israel, according to Israeli military adviser Amir Avivi, who told the Washington Free Beacon that such missiles must be "dealt with" in any strike on Iran.
"There is a discussion in the Israeli defense establishment about the possibility of chemical and biological weapons," Avivi, who served as a brigadier general with the IDF and counsels the Israeli government on defense, told the Free Beacon in an interview Monday. "We know that they have capability to send a warhead that is chemical." For decades, the U.S. government has assessed that Iran is researching and developing chemical agents, specifically "anesthetics used to incapacitate victims by targeting the central nervous system," according to the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point.
"This is why we want to make sure that any attack on this regime will make sure that all these capabilities are dealt with," Avivi said.
Avivi's remarks came after he made a similar assessment at a briefing with the Israel Defense and Security Forum on Monday. The Islamic Republic is "continuing preparations for war and the production of ballistic missiles, including chemical and biological ballistic missiles, which are very, very dangerous and need to be dealt with," he said.
Avivi's confirmation that the Israeli military is emphasizing a focus on Iran's chemical, biological, and ballistic capabilities follows reporting in December that suggested Tehran was developing new warheads for its long-range missiles, which it could use to carry out chemical and biological attacks across the Middle East. A regime insider told Iran International that the Islamic Republic’s leadership believes "the use of unconventional weapons can be justified in situations of existential threat."
Avivi told the Free Beacon that the prospect of such a strike "worries the Israeli defense establishment" and is one focus of talks with the Trump administration surrounding threats within Iran, adding that Israel is "providing targets and discussing the different capabilities that need to be dealt with" in those conversations and has pointed to chemical weapons as a top concern.
"It’s the kind of weapon that can create mass hysteria," said Avivi, who noted that traditional bomb shelters would only provide limited protection if the Islamic Republic released chemical compounds on a large scale. "We know that they’re producing ballistic missiles around the clock, and the ballistic missiles they are producing now are more sophisticated than the ones they shot in the 12-Day War."
Avivi’s description of "mass hysteria" may have occurred in Iran earlier this year as the regime carried out its bloody crackdown on protesters. Iran International reported in late January that the regime deployed "unknown chemical substances" in several cities where demonstrations occurred. Eyewitnesses recounted "breathing difficulties, sudden weakness, and loss of movement."
The outlet reviewed video footage that showed Iranian security forces wearing protective clothing alongside trucks bearing "hazardous substance" warnings.
Trump administration Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, meanwhile, said Sunday that Tehran’s ongoing pursuit of nuclear arms remains the United States’ most pressing concern.
"They’re probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material," Witkoff said during an interview with Fox News. "And that’s really dangerous. So they can’t have that."
Iran is expected to send a proposal to the United States on Tuesday that would lead to continued nuclear negotiations on Thursday, though Tehran has already ruled out the possibility of entering an interim deal that could pave the way to a final agreement. Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said on Sunday that the Trump administration has sent "encouraging signals," but the Islamic Republic has still "made all necessary preparations for any potential scenario."
President Donald Trump, for his part, is unlikely to send "his people to meet with the Iranians if the gaps after the Iranian proposal are still large," a U.S. official told Israeli news outlet i24 on Monday.
