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Iran carried out its largest offensive against Israel to date, launching 180 ballistic missiles on Tuesday night. According to the governments of Israel, the United States and Jordan, most of these missiles They were intercepted thanks to the anti-missile defense systems deployed in the region, such as the renowned Iron Dome.
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This airstrike, significantly more serious than one that occurred in April, increased tensions in an already unstable Middle East, while a regional conflict worsens.
Iran possesses thousands of ballistic and cruise missiles of different ranges. A 2021 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Missile Threat Project indicated that the exact numbers of each type are unknown, although a report from Iran Watch, based on statements by General Kenneth McKenzie in 2023, He stated that the country has more than 3,000 ballistic missiles.
Among these, experts identified that Iran used variants of the Shahab-3 missile in this recent attack. The Shahab-3, which entered service in 2003can carry warheads of up to 1,200 kilograms and It is fired from mobile launchers or silos, according to the CSIS Missile Threat Project.
Iranian media also reported on the use of Fattah-1, a missile described by Iran as “hypersonic,” since it can travel at speeds five times faster than that of sound. However, experts such as Fabian Hinz, of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said CNN that the Fattah-1 does not qualify as a truly hypersonic weapon, although it does represent an improvement in the ability to maneuver to avoid anti-missile defenses.
Israel has a variety of defensive systems, most notably the Iron Dome, to counter rockets and artillery shells. However, for this type of ballistic missile attacks, systems such as the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3, developed jointly with the United States, which intercept missiles in outer space.
Additionally, the United States joined the defense using destroyers equipped with the Aegis system from the Mediterranean, while the Jordanian Air Force also intercepted missiles launched by Iran.
This attack intensifies the already volatile situation in the region, in which the powers involved, both local and international, continue to strengthen their defense systems to respond to future threats.
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