The first volleys of a ballistic missile war in the Mideast

World view - We may be about to enter what could be the most dangerous moment in the history of the modern Middle East: a ballistic missile war between Iran and Israel, which would almost certainly bring in the United States on Israel's side and could culminate in a full-blown US-Israeli effort to destroy Iran's nuclear program.

- By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

That is the assessment I have gleaned from talking to Israeli intelligence sources, whose analysis is that Iran plans to launch a missile attack against Israel. The attack is planned in two waves 15 minutes apart, and each wave will involve 110 ballistic missiles, the Israelis said.

The Iranian missiles are aimed at three targets. First, the headquarters of the Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence service, near Tel Aviv. Second, the Israeli air base at Nevatim and third, the Israeli air base at Khatzirim; both bases are in the south of Israel in the Negev desert. The Israeli officials are particularly concerned about any strike on Mossad headquarters because it is in the densely populated north Tel Aviv suburb of Ramat Hasharon. It is also not far from the Israeli defense intelligence headquarters, Unit 8200.