How can Iran’s missiles attack Europe amid fears of terrorist cells ready to spread anarchy?
European officials have cautioned citizens to exercise “vigilance” due to concerns that Iran might activate terrorist sleeper cells, potentially causing chaos across the continent.
Fears are growing that Iran could attack targets inside Europe, amid warnings that sleeper cells could be active across the continent to spread chaos.
Tehran’s remaining leadership has fired missiles and drones wildly at US allies after Donald Trump and his Israeli counterpart approved devastating air strikes on Iran on Saturday morning. The barrage wiped out Iran’s leadership, including the assassination of the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran responded by firing missiles and drones at Arab states, Israel and even the island of Cyprus, which is home to British air bases. Iran’s arsenal includes the Khorramshahr 4 missile. The missile has a range of 1,242 miles to 1,864 miles and can carry a destructive warhead.
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Trump previously claimed that Iran’s nuclear weapons program has been “destroyed” (Image: Kyle Mazza/Shutterstock)
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The missiles could reach Rome, Copenhagen, Budapest and Athens. Dr Siddharth Kaushal, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told The Daily Mail that the missile was “derivative” of missiles used by North Korea.
He said, “It was always anticipated that if the Iranians ever developed a nuclear weapon, this would be the delivery vehicle for a nuclear weapon. ” The Khorramshahr-4 missile can be launched in a volley and, if used, could reach large areas of Europe, including Greece, Italy, Germany, Poland and Denmark.
Tehran was targeted in the attacks (Image: AP)
Trump claimed last year that Iran’s nuclear weapons programme had been “destroyed” but raised fears the country could develop weapons of mass destruction if left alone. The Shahid suicide drone, with a range of 1,242 miles, can even reach parts of Europe – a range of short-range missiles are already reaching Middle East countries, including Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
Although drones are slower than missiles, they are easier to launch in large numbers and can increase pressure on targeted countries if used in repeated waves to weaken air defences. Dr Kaushal warned that as the US and Israel continue to attack Iran’s senior defence leadership, the country’s ‘mosaic warfare’ doctrine could make it more difficult to predict next steps.
Iran’s ‘Mosaic War’ Theory May Make It Hard to Predict Their Next Moves
“Since the 2000s, the Iranian concept of the so-called ‘Mosaic War’ [has been] built around the idea that their leadership could be paralysed in a war with the United States, and so they would have to transfer control to the command level to ensure that their forces could continue to function,” he said. The basic concept is that people at lower levels [who] may have been given standard…rules of engagement in peacetime are considered more authoritative if they cannot communicate with higher command. The question is how much authority do they now have to do things that could escalate the war [ordinarily] controlled?”
The joint US-Israeli airstrikes have also raised fears that Iran could use sleeper terror cells to attack targets across Europe. Sleeper cells usually infiltrate a country and remain hidden until they become active to carry out terrorist attacks.
Iran is already firing short-range missiles at its Middle Eastern neighbours.
Mark Heinrichmann, a member of the German parliament’s intelligence committee, warned yesterday that the attacks would not be limited to the Middle East. Speaking to local outlets, he said, “Tensions in the Middle East do not only affect the region.
“The Iranian regime has repeatedly demonstrated in the past that it has spread its terror beyond its borders. Iranian sleeper cells in Europe cannot be ruled out as a part of Tehran’s retaliation strategy. Vigilance is today’s order.”
It appears the war with Iran is unpopular among many Americans, and only one in four agrees with Trump’s decision to attack. In contrast, 43 per cent disapproved and 29 per cent said they were not sure, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
