The latest escalation between Israel and Iran marks a significant change in the adversarial relationship between the two antagonists. Not since the first Persian Gulf War of 1990-91, when the Iraqi military under Saddam Hussein struck Israel with SCUD missiles, have the Israelis been subjected to a missile attack on the scale the Iranians executed. Tehran’s most recent salvo involved a combination of drones and missiles. The missile barrage consisted of a mixture of cruise and ballistic missiles. Israel’s missile defences intercepted an estimated 331 missiles launched by the Iranians. To be sure, the Israelis benefitted from American and British assistance in intercepting the volley of Iranian missiles and drones. What compelled the Iranians to launch such a large attack? The immediate and proximate cause was the Israeli air strike against the Iranian consulate in Damascus that killed two top Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) generals. This event triggered the latest round of escalation between Tel Aviv and Tehran, with the latter launching the Kheibar Shekan and Emad ballistic missiles and Paveh cruise missiles. The drones used by Iran included the Shahed 131 and 136. The Shahed 136 UAVs have been employed in Ukraine by the Russians. Israel’s missile defences intercepted an estimated 331 missiles launched by the Iranians. To be sure, the Israelis benefitted from American and British assistance in intercepting the volley of Iranian missiles and drones.
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