Preliminary Results of Iran’s Attack on Israel: It was Largely a Failure
The response of Saudi Arabia and Jordan was a huge breakthrough: it is the first time Arab countries participated in defending Israel.
Here are the preliminary results from the Iranian attacks last night:
- 170 Kamikaze Drones were fired. None entered Israeli territory. At least one appears to have landed in Iran.
- 30 Cruise Missiles were fired; 25 were shot down outside of Israeli territory.
- 103 out of 110 Ballistic Missiles were shot down; 7 Ballistic Missile impacts were recorded on Israeli territory
The ballistic missiles that got through hit the Israeli air base at Nevatim but did not do significant damage. The base remains fully operational.
There are no other reports on damage yet, but a 10-year-old girl was seriously wounded in a strike in the south.
Israel used its F-35s, F15s and F16s aircraft to intercept drones, along with Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow I and II.
Israel was assisted by the US Air Force and Navy, and by Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Jordan used its F-16s and air defenses. There is no report yet from Saudi Arabia.
Israel hit a Hezbollah weapons manufacturing facility in southern Lebanon. This was in response to a Hezbollah missile attack on an Israeli base in Israel’s north.
So far (7:00 AM) there is no word of any counterstrikeon Iran by Israel.
Reports say that any such strike will be coordinated with the US. For inexplicable reasons, President Joe Biden (who is backing Israel, but opposes Israeli retaliation) wants an emergency G-7 meeting, even though the G-7 is an economic, not a military organization.
I think it is fair to say that the Iranian attack was largely a failure and that Israel’s and allied air defenses performed very well. The number of missiles fired at Israel exceeds anything we have seen so far in Ukraine where even large scale attacks rarely exceed twenty of thirty drones and missiles.
The Iranians did not knock out any of the air defenses protecting Israel.
The response of Saudi Arabia and Jordan was a huge breakthrough: it is the first time Arab countries participated in defending Israel. This is a huge blow to Iran which is seeking to subvert both countries.
At the present time I do not know of any casualtiesother than the child in the south. Israelis were ordered into bomb shelters, airports and other transit were closed down, etc. Today Israel resumed commercial air traffic and – if you look – you will se Israelis out in the streets doing what they normally do.
There is still much more to learn.
Stephen Bryen is a former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense.
