Israel plans to produce heavy bombs, but US dependence will remain – Rezazade

Vice-President of the Iranian opposition in Washington (NIC), Ali Reza Rezade, points out that Israel announced last week that it will start producing heavy bombs and defense raw materials domestically, having learned a “central lesson from the war” in Gaza.

The country is investing millions of dollars in creating heavy weapons amid growing concerns about its dependence on arms imports from the United States and other Western countries, although the flow of weapons from these countries has largely remained stable. However, experts note that Israel’s dependence on the United States, its main arms supplier, will be difficult to overcome, especially with the return of Donald Trump to the presidency.

The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced the signing of deals worth about $275 million for the production of heavy bombs and defense raw materials, which will be a significant addition to the country’s already large defense industry. “This is a central lesson from the war that will allow the IDF to continue to operate with strength in all theaters of operations,” Defense Ministry Director General Eyal Zamir said at a signing ceremony on Tuesday.

In the war that began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, the Israeli army used heavy bombs, partly supplied by American companies such as Boeing, to level large parts of the Gaza Strip. The actions killed more than 40,000 people, most of them women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The devastation has drawn particular attention to the use of such munitions.

Some Western countries have threatened to halt arms exports to Israel, citing the potential harm to civilians. In the United States, which is the largest arms supplier to Israel, the Biden administration has received hundreds of reports of American weapons being used in attacks that pose a risk to civilians in Gaza.