Israel envoy to Rwanda explains reasons behind war against Iran

By The Inspirer.

Israel’s Ambassador to Rwanda, Einat Weiss, has outlined why her country joined the United States in launching military strikes against Iran, citing concerns over Tehran’s alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons and its support for armed groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas.

Speaking to journalists in Kigali on Thursday, March 5, 2026, the envoy said the conflict—now entering its sixth day—began after Israel and the United States acted on intelligence indicating that Iran was expanding its missile programme and strengthening allied militant groups in the region.

Weiss claimed that since the start of the war, Iran has carried out attacks beyond its borders, targeting several countries and causing destruction and loss of life.

“Iran, as part of its usual pattern of operations, has already attacked nine other countries. Recent reports also suggest drone strikes may have targeted a tenth country, Azerbaijan, although detailed confirmation is still pending,” she said.

Missile buildup and underground facilities

According to the ambassador, Israel’s decision to strike Iran was largely driven by intelligence indicating that Tehran had significantly increased the production and stockpiling of ballistic missiles capable of reaching targets far beyond the region.

She said that in June 2025 Israel conducted military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. At the time, Israel expected Iran to scale back its involvement with the groups.

Instead, she alleged, Iran intensified weapons production and continued providing financial and military support to the organisations.

Weiss further claimed that Iran had begun placing key weapons systems deep underground to shield them from potential strikes.

“The Iranian leadership was determined to ensure these weapons could not easily be destroyed or targeted,” she said, noting that deeply buried facilities are extremely difficult to reach even with advanced military technology.

She added that while Israeli military action in June 2025 weakened parts of Iran’s military capacity, intelligence later showed Tehran had accelerated efforts to rebuild and expand its missile production facilities.

Support to allied armed groups

The Israeli Embassy in Rwanda said that prior to June 2025 Iran’s daily missile production was relatively limited but later increased sharply.

Weiss also accused Tehran of rebuilding the capabilities of armed groups allied with it in the region.

“Following Israel’s military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, intelligence over the following eight months indicated that Iran invested heavily in restoring those groups’ capabilities by supplying weapons, missiles and financial support,” she said.

According to Weiss, Iranian leaders had repeatedly stated that their objective was to rebuild enough military capacity to resume attacks against Israel.

“Their leaders have said publicly that their goal is to reach a point where they can attack Israel again until it is completely destroyed,” she added.

She said Israel decided to carry out what she described as a pre-emptive strike once intelligence suggested Iran was approaching that capability.

Regional escalation and global impact

Since Israel and the United States launched their attacks, Iran has retaliated by firing hundreds of missiles toward Israel and other locations in the region, according to the ambassador.

Weiss said some Iranian attacks targeted the United Arab Emirates, while airspace closures were reported in several countries including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, with disruptions also reaching parts of Europe, including members of NATO.

She described the situation as an unprecedented escalation in regional tensions.

The ambassador also said Iran had moved to close the Strait of Hormuz—a vital maritime route for global trade, particularly oil shipments—warning that the move could have serious consequences for the global economy.

Civilian casualties reported

Weiss told journalists that Israel has made significant military gains, including gaining operational control of Iranian airspace, which she said allows Israeli forces to target missile launch sites.

She said Iranian missiles currently have the capacity to carry warheads weighing about 500 kilograms and can reach distances of up to 2,100 kilometres.

“This raises the question of why Iran needs missiles with a range exceeding 2,000 kilometres,” she said, suggesting they could potentially reach Israel and parts of Europe.

Despite Israel’s air defence systems intercepting many of the missiles, some reportedly struck Israeli territory, killing nine people. Among the victims were members of two families who were nearly wiped out.

The Israeli Embassy in Rwanda said Israel’s initial strikes inside Iran were carried out with precision, targeting political leaders, senior military officials and individuals Israel considers terrorists under international security frameworks.

Weiss, however, accused Iran of continuing to target densely populated civilian areas in Israel in what she described as attempts to cause large-scale casualties and destruction.