Blast at Israeli Missile Site Spurs Arrow-3 Speculation as Ex-CIA Analyst Challenges 12:30 a.m. Test Claim
Updated
Updated · News18 · May 17
Blast at Israeli Missile Site Spurs Arrow-3 Speculation as Ex-CIA Analyst Challenges 12:30 a.m. Test Claim
7 articles · Updated · News18 · May 17
A powerful overnight blast at a Tomer-linked test site near Beit Shemesh sent a fireball and mushroom cloud over the Jerusalem area, intensifying questions about whether Arrow-3 assets were involved.
Israeli authorities said the explosion was a pre-planned experiment with no casualties or security breach, but former CIA analyst Larry Johnson argued the late-hour timing and blocked emergency access did not fit a routine controlled test.
Hebrew media reports suggested the blast may have hit a sodium perchlorate storage area tied to rocket-motor production and possibly damaged part of an Arrow-3 stockpile, which could affect 1 of Israel's 2 Arrow-3 batteries if confirmed.
The incident revived comparisons with a similar 2021 mushroom-cloud blast at the same facility and added to wider speculation over military readiness as regional tensions remain high.
Amidst a ceasefire, was the blast at Israel's rocket facility a strategic show of force or a critical security failure?
As Iran's new leader vows revenge, could this 'controlled test' actually be the first strike in a renewed conflict?