Wall Street Journal: Iran exposes weaknesses in Israel’s air defense

According to this major American newspaper, the recent war between Israel and Iran serves as a warning for countries possessing advanced missile defense systems, as well as for those who purchase such systems.

The report further acknowledges Iran’s growing success during the 12-day war against Israel, stating that the conflict demonstrated that even the world’s most advanced defense systems are not impenetrable.

A Wall Street Journal analyst noted that after many of its missiles and drones were intercepted during the war with Israel, Tehran adapted its tactics and, through trial and error, identified vulnerabilities in Israel’s missile defense systems.

According to missile defense experts who analyzed the data from the recent 12-day conflict, Tehran began launching more advanced and longer-range missiles from various locations across Iran in the later stages of the war. Additionally, Iran altered the timing, patterns, and geographic dispersion of its attacks.

In an early analysis based on data from Washington-based think tanks, the Wall Street Journal acknowledged that although Iran launched fewer missiles, its success rate increased. According to data from the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), in the first half of the war, 8% of Iran’s missiles penetrated Israel’s defense systems, while this figure rose to 16% in the second half.

This pro-Israel think tank identified Iran’s June 22 barrage as the most successful. Citing its own data, it reported that of the 27 missiles launched by Iran, 10 struck targets inside Israel.

Ari Sikorrel, a senior member of JINSA, commented on this barrage, saying: “The data shows that Iran successfully adapted the method, timing, and type of its launches.”

The Wall Street Journal emphasized that Iran’s missiles breached Israeli airspace despite the Iron Dome and other air defense systems being among the most advanced in the world, developed in collaboration with the United States.

The author of the report also added that analysis of Netanyahu’s cabinet statements during the war revealed a decline in the interception rate of Iranian missiles. Israel’s military initially claimed it was intercepting 90% to 95% of Iran’s missiles during the 12-day conflict. However, after the ceasefire on June 24, it was announced that, overall, 86% of the missiles had been intercepted.

Yehoshua Kalisky, a missile defense expert at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), stated that Iran, by altering its launch patterns and targeting various cities, was testing Israel’s interception systems: “They tried to fragment Israel’s defense network.”

Missile experts also noted that as the conflict dragged on, Israel, facing a reduced number of interceptors and the high costs associated with them, was forced to conserve resources and only target missiles deemed a direct threat.