Israel to Establish "Supreme Armaments Council" for the Next Round of War against Iran and Yemen

Israel's Defense Ministry is establishing a new "Supreme Armaments Council" to prepare for upcoming wars with Iran and Yemen, Defense Ministry director general Maj. Gen. (res.) Amir Baram said on Monday.

Addressing a conference of the Finance Ministry organized by the accountant general, Baram cautioned that Iran is in a dash to restore its missile and nuclear programs following June's 12-day war, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, which he said was "a clear Israeli victory.

“There will be additional rounds against Iran,” Baram said. “The Iranians have not disappeared, they are feeling humiliated and therefore are investing huge sums in defense and in accelerated force-building processes.”

The new council will have the Defense and Finance ministries, the National Security Council, Israeli defense industries, and other bodies on board. Its mission will be to speed up procurement, rebalance production schedules, and synchronize short-term readiness with long-term weapons development.

“To maintain military superiority, the Defense Ministry operates on three time horizons: immediate procurement, medium-term readiness for the coming decade, and long-term development of game-changing systems,” Baram said. “We must invest now in thinking about the next surprises and the next pager operations.”

He added that Israel's strikes in Yemen are priced at around 50 million shekels ($15 million) per strike, while an Arrow-3 interceptor in a successful intercept costs between 15–30 million shekels ($4.5–9 million). An unsuccessful interception can, however, cost up to 300 million shekels ($90 million), as with the missile attack on Bat Yam this summer.

Baram said global defense spending reached $2.7 trillion in 2024, the largest increase since 1988. Israel alone has spent over 205 billion shekels ($61 billion) on war costs. Despite this, he said the country has signed $2.5 billion in new weapons export deals in recent weeks.

“The Ministry of Defense is a body that also brings in money, not just spends it,” Baram said. “Countries understand the significance of long-term defense investment in an unstable world.”

He also emphasized increasing local production and cutting dependence on overseas suppliers, referring to the lessons of recent wars and increased global pressure on Israel's weapons industry.

Baram's comments highlight Israel's planning for extended struggle against Iran and its proxies in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. “Operation Rising Lion may have ended in a decisive Israeli victory, but there will be more rounds with Tehran,” he said.

Mossad’s Booby-Trapped Pagers and Radios Crippled Hezbollah in 2024 Operation

In September 2024, Israeli Mossad detonated more than 5,000 booby-trapped pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon, killing dozens of Hezbollah operatives and crippling its command networks.

Mossad Director David (Dedi) Barnea later called the operation a turning point, noting the explosives used were no greater than a single mine but had a profound psychological effect. Retired Israeli intelligence officers earlier revealed the devices were infiltrated into Hezbollah’s supply chain through shell companies, including one in Hungary, after being sourced from Taiwan’s Gold Apollo.