Iran successfully disrupted Israel’s air dominance in a retaliatory strike following Tel Aviv’s attack on June 13. Several Iranian ballistic missiles reportedly breached Israel’s advanced air defense systems, including the renowned Iron Dome and Arrow systems.

Some of these missiles struck residential areas in Israel, causing significant damage. Even the Israeli military headquarters in Tel Aviv, known as the Kirya, was affected, although the damage there was relatively minimal.

On Tuesday, Iran claimed it had targeted a Mossad intelligence and operations center, raising a critical question: how did Iranian missiles manage to penetrate Israel’s highly reputed missile defense shield?

A Strike That Overwhelmed Air Defense Resilience

One likely tactic used by Iran involved launching a large-scale, simultaneous missile barrage, aiming to deplete Israel’s supply of interceptor missiles.

“No air defense system can intercept 100% of incoming missiles. If you have a limited number of interceptors, you will be overwhelmed,” explained Dr. Marina Miron, a postdoctoral researcher at King's College London.

Israeli media outlets have warned that their air defense systems could begin to fail within days if Iran continues to fire missiles at a high intensity. The operation of these defense systems is also extremely costly, with daily expenses estimated at around US$285 million.

Hypersonic Missiles and Glide Vehicles (HGVs)

Iran is also believed to have deployed hypersonic missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs), such as those integrated with the Fattah-2 missile. These weapons travel faster than the speed of sound and can maneuver mid-flight to evade tracking and interception.

“In addition to their speed, missiles equipped with HGVs can zigzag unpredictably, unlike conventional ballistic missiles,” noted Alex Gatopoulos, defense editor at Al Jazeera.

This characteristic, he explained, drastically shortens the time available for defense systems to respond, thereby increasing the chances that the missile will reach its intended target.

Low-Flying Cruise Missiles

In addition to ballistic and hypersonic missiles, Iran also deployed cruise missiles like the Hoveyzeh, which fly low and steadily, resembling drones. Although slower, their low-altitude flight path makes them harder to detect by radar systems.

“Cruise missiles can change direction mid-flight and sneak past radar coverage,” added Dr. Miron.

New Tactics from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that the success of the strike was due to newly developed tactical approaches designed specifically to confuse and bypass Israel’s layered air defense systems.

“The new capabilities and initiatives we deployed caused the enemy’s defense systems to interfere with one another. This occurred even though they are fully supported by the U.S., Western powers, and cutting-edge technologies,” read the official statement from the IRGC.