4 | APRIL 25 • 2024
J
N

analysis

Iran’s Massive Attack was a
Resounding Strategic Failure
T

he combined Iranian
attack on Israel in
the early hours of
April 14, comprising 170
UAVs, 30 cruise missiles
and 120 ballistic missiles —
more than 300
aerial threats
in total — was
successfully
intercepted
by Israel
and partner
militaries.
The fact that
99% of the threats were
intercepted means that a
central pillar of Iranian force
projection — its missile and
UAV arsenals — has been
proven to be no match for
Israel’s Air Force, its multi-
layered air defense system, or
for regional cooperation with
allies.
For decades, Iranian
military industries have
been developing and
producing missiles and
UAV capabilities. These
capabilities were used to arm
Iran’s elite military force, the
Islamic Revolutionary Guard
Corps, and Iran’s proxies.
While Iran often activates
its proxies to attack its
enemies, it has, until now,
kept its own powder dry,
based on the idea that the
firepower Iran amassed
on its own soil would
keep Israel, Sunni Arab
countries and the United
States deterred, and would
stop Israel from acting too
fiercely to disrupt Iran’s
hegemonic plans.

Iran plans to surround
Israel with a network of
terror armies, break through
to nuclear weapons and
use the combination of
its proxies, conventional
weapons and nuclear
umbrella to cause Israel
to collapse by 2040 —
according to the clerical
regime’s own statements and
officials. As such, its decision
to directly attack Israel
represents a major departure
from this long-term strategy.
After the April 1 strike
on Damascus that killed
the IRGC Quds Force
commander for Syria and
Iraq, Mohammad Reza
Zahedi, his deputy and
five other IRGC officers,
Iran decided that the time
was ripe to break with its
pattern of using proxies to
weaken Israel and keep it

bogged down in conflict,
and to directly “teach Israel
a lesson.”

ISRAEL’S MULTI-LAYERED
AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM
But it is Iran that has now
learned that Israel’s multi-
layered shield, fighter jets
and partners can collectively
neutralize its flagship
conventional weapons
program.
Israel’s multi-layered air
defense system relies on the
Arrow 3, which intercepts
ballistic missiles in space,
Arrow 2, which operates in
the upper atmosphere against
ballistic missiles, David’s
Sling intermediate-range
system, which intercepts
heavy rockets and short-
range ballistic missiles (of
the type Iran and Syria have
supplied to Hezbollah) as

well as cruise missiles and
drones, and Iron Dome,
which shoots down rockets,
cruise missiles and drones.
Israel is expecting its Iron
Beam laser interception
system, which can shoot
down rockets, mortars and
UAVs, to become operational
soon, and is developing an
interceptor (Sky Sonic) for
Iran’s future hypersonic
missile (Fattah), which is in
development.
The Israeli Navy is also
equipped with the advanced
Barak 8 surface-to-air
protection system, which can
be activated from the sea.
Iran has now witnessed
Israel’s successful retaliation,
and unlike Israel, Iranian air
defenses are by comparison
limited in scope.
After its own failure on
April 14, Iran now relies
almost exclusively on
Hezbollah for an ability to
threaten Israel.
According to the IDF’s
data, around 170 Iranian
UAVs — a massive swarm
— failed to cross into
Israeli air space. Dozens
were intercepted by IAF
jets, Israel’s ground-based
interceptors, and partner
aircraft and air defense
systems.
According to international
media reports, American
and British jets took part
in interceptions, along with
the Jordanian and Saudi air
defense systems.
In addition, of the more
than 30 cruise missiles Iran

Yaakov
Lappin
JNS.org

Iran says its air-launched Asef cruise missiles, unveiled in February
2023, can hit targets at a range of 1,025 miles.

SOURCE: TWITTER.

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