'Great Prophet 17,' Iran Showers Ballistic Missiles On Mockup Of Israel's Dimona Reactor In 5-day Drill

Iran has conducted a five-day military drill named "Great Prophet 17" involving tests of short and medium-range ballistic missiles. Interestingly, the targets of the missiles included a mock-up of Israel's nuclear facility at Dimona.

The exercise served as a warning to Israel amid reports that Tel Aviv was planning to attack Iran's nuclear facilities, reported The Drive.

Footage of the drill that ended Friday shows Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps raining missiles on the mock-up of the Dimona nuclear complex in the Negrev Desert.

In one impressive sequence, the warhead of what appears to be a Dezful medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) leaves an impressively fiery trail behind it as it hits the target. The footage was aired on Iran's state television.

The official video was shown along with a digital mock-up showing an aerial view of the Israeli site.

"Through a simulation of the Dimona atomic facilities, the Revolutionary Guards successfully practiced attacking this critical center of the Zionist regime in its missile exercise," the semi-official Tasnim news agency stated.

That said, it is unclear how realistic and precise the replica of the Dimona reactor is. Though there is a clear physical resemblance, there is apparently little in the way of a substantial structure.

The report quoted Iran’s Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, who claimed the drill included the simultaneous launch of 16 ballistic missiles as well as 10 Shahed-136 loitering munitions or "suicide drones."

The "suicide drones," shown being deployed from box-like launchers, have long-endurance capabilities. They can potentially reach Israel and can also be launched from Syria or even Lebanon, which is less far away from Israel.

"We will cut off their hands if they make a wrong move," Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the IRGC, was heard saying in the footage. "The difference between actual operations and military exercises is only a change in the angles of launching the missiles."

Though Iran has threatened military action against Israel in the past too, this is the first time that it specifically hinted at attacking a reactor.

However, despite the show, an attack on the Dimona reactor won't be something Iran can easily do. Israel's highly advanced air defense network is equipped with anti-ballistic missile capabilities that can fend off such an offensive.

The military drill comes as Israel threatens to strike Iran's nuclear facilities. Though the U.S. officials have warned Israel that attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities are counterproductive, Tel Aviv reportedly is in no mood to heed.

Recently, reports said Israel's spy agency Mossad duped a team of Iranian nuclear scientists into blowing up one of the most secure and important nuclear facilities at Natanz.