From the central region of Israel, where the warning sirens sounded, it was possible to see them in the sky early in the afternoon of Tuesday the 1st.Ahem October: small luminous traces that seemed to advance in a row, and in large numbers, before the dull explosions of the interceptions of these Iranian missiles resounded, or the much rarer ones of their impact on the ground, in the vicinity of Tel – Aviv or towards the Negev.
A few minutes earlier, an Israeli statement had called on the population to prepare to reach the nearest shelters in the face of the arrival of ballistic missiles that were going to be fired from Iran and that were expected to reach their target much more quickly than during the attack. previous Iranian attack on the night of April 13, during which various types of missiles and drones took up to several hours to reach Israeli territory.
In total, just under two hundred ballistic missiles were fired on Tuesday night. Although specialists estimate that a significant part – up to a third – generally does not reach its destination, Israeli anti-aircraft defenses (Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow) have been reinforced for years by American means that navigate the region. Intercept as many of these missiles as possible. French forces participated in the operation. “France today mobilized its military resources in the Middle East to counter the Iranian threat,” indicated a press release from the Elysée published on 1Ahem October afternoon. Several factors allowed the Israeli defense system not to be saturated: its interception capabilities, of course, but also the absence of help that Hezbollah could have provided to Iran, which was left powerless in the face of Israeli attacks. Without forgetting the discreet announcement of their intentions by the Iranian authorities. According to the Reuters agency, Iran would have warned Russia. An anonymous official says the United States was also warned. A few hours before the attack, Washington had also indicated that it was imminent. An Israeli military statement on Wednesday morning indicated that preparations for the interceptions had begun. “several days in advance”and continued “During and after the Iranian attack.”
More accurate missiles
The attack was not insignificant, however, both because of the number of missiles sent (twice as many as in April) and because of its great capacity, with recently modified versions of the Fattah. These latter missiles potentially have “glider” operation: their trajectory, when they approach their target, can be modified, making their interception more complex. “They are more precise, more efficient than previous versions”says Jeffrey Lewis, a missile expert at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute in Monterey, California.
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