U.S. Quietly Delivers Hundreds of Hellfire Missiles to Israel Before Attack on Tehran

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The United States quietly sent hundreds of Hellfire missiles to Israel before its unprecedented attack on Iran on Friday, June 13, 2025. Quoting Middle East Eye, the U.S. delivered about 300 Hellfire missiles to Israel on Tuesday in large quantities before the attack. The missile transfer was carried out during nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran last week.

The transfer of such a large number of Hellfire missiles indicates that the Trump administration had full knowledge of Israel's plan to attack the Islamic Republic of Iran, said two U.S. officials speaking on condition of anonymity. The delivery of Hellfire or other large weapons by the U.S. prior to Friday's attack has not been previously reported.

Hellfires are laser-guided air-to-ground missiles. These missiles would not be useful for Israel to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities, but for precision attacks.

The Israeli military used more than 100 aircraft in its attack on Israel on Friday, June 13, 2025. Israel used precision tracking to target senior military officials, nuclear scientists, and command centers. “There is a time and place for Hellfires. They were useful to Israel,” said a senior U.S. defense official.

Israel killed several senior Iranian officials and nuclear scientists on Friday. The casualties included the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami; Major General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces; and Ali Shamkhani, a close aide to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The Donald Trump administration is said to have been aware of Israel's plan to strike Iran for months. Middle East Eye revealed earlier this month that the CIA had been informed in April and May about Israel's plan to unilaterally attack Iran's nuclear sites. The Israeli Target Systems analysis and battle plans for a combined cyber and precision attack without direct U.S. involvement "impressed" the government.

However, Trump's behavior in recent months has given observers, and perhaps Iran, the impression that he would continue to reject open lobbying by Netanyahu to approve the attack.

Axios reported on Friday, citing two Israeli officials, that the Trump administration only pretended to oppose Israel's attack plan, but privately did not oppose it.

Trump has since framed his approach by saying that he gave Iran 60 days to agree to a new nuclear deal with his administration before launching the attack. The Israeli media reported the 60-day deadline in March 2025.

The Trump administration began talks with Iran on April 12, 2025, and the Israeli attack occurred 61 days later.

Negotiations in recent weeks have reached an impasse due to U.S. demands for Iran to agree not to enrich any uranium. Tehran, on the other hand, has insisted on its rights.

Throughout the negotiations, the Trump administration continued to provide weapons and armaments to Israel in recent months. The U.S. did not need to inform the public about the missile transfer as it had been approved as part of a $7.4 billion arms deal that includes bombs, missiles, and related equipment. It was notified to Congress in February 2025.

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