Israeli authorities on Tuesday permitted the publishing of news on an Iran-made missile targeting an Israeli plane that was missioned to attack several locations in Syria.
An Israeli general commented that this missile appeared to be more advanced than the arsenal of missiles in the possession of the Syrian regime’s army. Nevertheless, it did not hit its target.
More so, the missile was launched from a position at sea, and Israel responded by destroying that position.
Later, in a statement, the Israeli army clarified that Iranian forces had not fired the missile, without saying who did.
Israeli officials pointed out that Iran is actively working to improve air defenses in locations where, according to foreign media, the Israeli air force has been carrying out attacks.
According to a report published by Haaretz, intelligence estimates presented to Israeli lawmakers in recent months show that Iran is trying to establish an array of surface-to-air missiles in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and other locations, in an attempt to disrupt the attacks and bring down an Israeli aircraft.
Defense sources say that the aerial defense systems manufactured by Iran have helped Syria improve its capabilities against Israeli aircraft.
According to these sources, the Syrians have succeeded in shortening their response time to Israeli attacks and have improved their capability to destroy the ammunition fired by Israel in Syria.
Officials are concerned over the possibility of these defense systems finding their way to Iran-backed terrorist groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, as well as other groups.
Officials have also identified an increased Iranian deployment of drones against Israel, through Hezbollah, Hamas, and others. The air force has prioritized the location and attack of these drones.
As part of the response to this threat, the army has urged Israel’s defense manufacturers to make a laser-based missile defense system operational by next year. In addition, the army is expected to receive several more Iron Dome systems in about two years.
Meanwhile, as efforts to renew nuclear talks with Tehran are underway, the Israeli government has ordered the defense establishment to prepare for an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites – in case the talks fail. The preparations include special equipment, advanced intelligence capabilities, and improvements in previous plans that have already been presented in the past.
