Preliminary takeaways of Iran’s assault on Israel

Here are the preliminary results from the Iranian attacks on Israel over the weekend:

1 missiles and drones launched by Iran at Israel:

– 185 out of 185 kamikaze drones were shot down

– 103 out of 110 ballistic missiles were shot down

– 36 out of 36 cruise missiles were shot down

– 7 ballistic missile impacts have been recorded on Israeli territory

Israel used its F-35s, F15s and F16s 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. I do not have a report yet from Saudi Arabia.

The ballistic missiles that got through hit the Israeli air base at Nevatim but did not do significant damage. The base remains fully operational.

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 there is no word of any counter-strike on Iran by Israel. Reports say that any such strike will be coordinated with the US. For inexplicable reasons, US President Joe Biden (who is backing Israel) 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 big 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.