How has Iran managed to pierce through Israel’s air defence systems?
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Has Iron Dome been breached? Iran claims using ‘new method’ to hit Israel; watch missiles in action
Iranian forces unleashed barrage of missiles on Israel early Monday, targeting major cities including Tel Aviv and Haifa. Military officials reported an “80 to 90% success rate” in intercepting these threats, though they acknowledged that no defence system is completely impenetrable. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have employed a novel attack method that allegedly caused Israel’s multi-layered defence systems to target each other. They warned that future operations would be “more devastating, tougher, more precise, and more destructive. “The residents of Tehran will pay the price, and soon,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.
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The assault damaged residential areas and raised global concerns about the potential for a
.
Powerful explosions shook Tel Aviv as Israel’s defence systems intercepted Iranian missiles. Plumes of black smoke billowed into the sky over the coastal city.
Amid Iran Attacks, Houthis Target Israel With Missile For Second Straight Day
Iran says ‘new method’ made attack more effective
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have employed a novel attack method that allegedly caused Israel’s multi-layered defence systems to target each other.
“The initiatives and capabilities used in this operation, despite the comprehensive support of the United States and Western powers and the possession of the most up-to-date and newest defence technology, led to the successful and maximum hitting of the missiles on the targets in the occupied territories,” it said.
Video: Iran State TV Bombarded During Live Broadcast; Anchor Screams, Flees Amid Israeli Attack
They warned that future operations would be “more devastating, tougher, more precise, and more destructive.”
“The arrogant dictator of Tehran has become a cowardly murderer who targets the civilian home front in Israel to deter the IDF from continuing the attack that is collapsing his capabilities,” Defence Minister Israel Katz said in a statement. “The residents of Tehran will pay the price, and soon.”
Israel’s
Iron Dome
, along with other air defence systems, intercepted many of the incoming Iranian missiles. Military officials reported an “80 to 90% success rate” in intercepting these threats, though they acknowledged that no defence system is completely impenetrable.
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The Iron Dome is Israel’s sophisticated air defence system, primarily designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets, mortars, and drones. Developed by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems with American support, this defensive shield became operational in 2011 and has proven highly effective, with Israeli military officials reporting an impressive 80-90% success rate.
The system employs truck-mounted units that fire radar-guided missiles to neutralise incoming threats in mid-air. One of its notable features is its intelligent threat assessment capability – it can determine whether a rocket is headed toward a populated area and only intercepts those that pose a genuine threat, allowing others to land in unpopulated areas.
Israel claims control of Iran’s skies, but Tehran is managing to hit back
Israel has “succeeded quite nicely in clearing Iranian airspace so that it can conduct operations against other sites” “The best known” of these is “the vast majority… those that might pose a significant threat to Israeli aircraft have [been].” “Israel has a “free highway to Tehran,” Netanyahu said. “Iran is a big, mountainous country. It’s not easy to find them,” he says. “The primary targets” are considered challenging targets because they are able to easy hide and are designed to “scoot” to the area. “Israel claims control of Iran’s skies, but Tehran is managing to hit back,” he adds. “Not a single Israeli aircraft has been shot down in the operation so far, Israel authorities says.” “The less able to destroy, the more able to strike back” is also a fact.
toggle caption Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images
Israel says it has crippled Iran’s air defenses and that it can now strike targets across the country at will. Although Israel’s own defenses remain largely intact despite nightly barrages launched by Tehran, some missiles are getting through with deadly results.
Since Friday, Israel has used U.S.-supplied state-of-the-art F-35 fighters and other aircraft to carry out hundreds of airstrikes against Iran’s air defenses and sites it says are being used to develop nuclear weapons. Not a single Israeli aircraft has been shot down in the operation so far, Israel authorities says.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appearing Sunday on Fox News, also offered details of what he described as a successful Israeli intelligence operation to infiltrate western Iran and disable its remaining air defenses in the area. As a result of the Mossad operation, Israel has a “free highway to Tehran,” Netanyahu said.
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Chuck Freilich, a former deputy national security advisor in Israel who is now at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University, says Israel has “succeeded quite nicely in clearing Iranian airspace so that it can conduct operations against other sites.”
Freilich acknowledges that while all of Iran’s air defenses have yet to be destroyed “the vast majority… those that might pose a significant threat to Israeli aircraft have [been].”
In October, during tit-for-tat missile and drone attacks between Israel and Iran, Tehran’s air defenses reportedly sustained serious damage. Israel likely believed that Iran couldn’t withstand a major air assault at the moment, a fact that likely played a role in the timing of the current operation.
Israel’s main targets include Iran’s two most important nuclear sites that are used for processing, or “enriching” radioactive uranium into the purity needed to produce atomic weapons. The first is the Natanz uranium enrichment site, which is largely underground and the second is the Fordow enrichment site built deep inside a mountain. They are particularly challenging to destroy and it isn’t clear if that can be done without additional help from the U.S., which could provide Israel with special bunker-busting bombs to penetrate the underground facilities.
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President Trump has expressed strong support for Israel, but has made clear that the U.S. is not at the moment part of Israel’s operation, which has also included strikes that resulted in the deaths of top Iranian commanders and reportedly dozens of civilians.
Israel’s missile defenses are a multipronged and overlapping systems designed to take out different kinds of threats. The best known of these is Iron Dome, which fires interceptor missiles at incoming short-range rockets, such as those that have frequently been fired by Hamas since the start of the Gaza war. Since October 2023, the system has taken down all but a few missiles fired by Iran and its regional proxies — not only Hamas, but Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, and the Yemen-based Houthis.
Since Sunday, however, Iran has unleashed waves of missiles against Israel, in attacks apparently designed to overwhelm Israel’s defenses. Several Iranian missiles got through on Monday morning and caused considerable damage in Israel. Eight Israeli civilians were killed when missiles hit apartment buildings. Another missile hit a fuel refinery in the coastal city of Haifa, touching off a huge blaze.
As incoming Iranian missiles are hit by Israel’s defenses, they break up into large fragments that are still dangerous. So, Iron Dome is now being used to shoot down those falling fragments, according to Freilich.
Meanwhile, Israel says it has eliminated about a third of Iran’s estimated 100 mobile launchers for firing ballistic missiles. They are considered challenging targets because they are able to easy hide and are designed to “shoot and scoot” to avoid detection. “Iran is a big, mountainous country. It’s not easy to find them,” Freilich says.
The more mobile launchers that Israel can destroy, the less able Iran will be to strike back. “The primary objective in the campaign against the missiles is to eliminate the launchers rather than the missiles themselves,” he says.
Iran’s missiles have punched through Israel’s air defence – but Tehran is tiring
Iran launched two more waves of missiles at Israel overnight, with no reported casualties, after Iranian media reported further explosions in Tehran. Israeli strikes and sabotage operations are likely to have destroyed many of Iran’s missiles, although the numbers have not been disclosed. Western intelligence estimated that Iran had between 2,000 and 3,000 missiles that could reach Israel, although Israeli officials suggested it had “thousands” more. Israel estimates that since Friday Iran has launched about 300 missiles. Iran is believed to have used medium-range ballistic missiles, including the Shahab-3, a derivative of a North Korean missile, and the Emad, a Shahab variant which is of Iranian design. But some newer missiles may have also been used, like the Hajj Qasem and Fattah-1, which are harder to detect. Israeli officials have warned that hostilities could continue for “weeks, not days”. Iran claimed that it employed a new method that caused a barrage of missiles to hit each other, allowing Tehran to hit many targets.
As Iran and Israel enter a fifth day of fire, Tehran’s limited missile numbers dwindle
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The conflict between Israel and Iran has entered its fifth day as the two sides continue to rain down fire on each other’s cities.
Iran launched two more waves of missiles at Israel overnight, with no reported casualties, after Iranian media reported further explosions in Tehran.
Israeli missiles and bombings have left nearly 200 dead in Iran since Israel launched its initial strikes on nuclear and military facilities and assassinated several top Iranian military leaders on Friday. Nearly two dozen people have been killed in missile attacks across Israel.
What missiles does Iran have?
Before the war, Western intelligence estimated that Iran had between 2,000 and 3,000 missiles that could reach Israel, although Israeli officials suggested it had “thousands” more.
Israeli strikes on Iran last year are believed to have caused significant damage to Iranian air defences, although the extent of the damage is not publicly known.
On Friday Israeli strikes and sabotage operations are likely to have destroyed many of Iran’s missiles, although the numbers have not been disclosed.
Yesterday, Israel’s military said it had destroyed “one third” of Iran’s surface-to-surface missile launchers and had “achieved aerial superiority over Iran”.
But still, a significant number of Iranian missiles managed to breach Israel’s robust defence systems, and Israeli officials have warned that hostilities could continue for “weeks, not days”.
Israel estimates that since Friday Iran has launched about 300 missiles. On Friday and Saturday Iran launched between 100 and 200 missiles in six waves of attacks, but in subsequent attacks used between 35 and 40 missiles, and on Monday between 10 and 12, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
Israeli military officials and experts estimate that Iran still possesses hundreds — possibly up to 2,000 — of missiles capable of reaching Israel.
An Iranian Ghadr-H missile, centre, and a solid-fuel surface-to-surface Sejjil missile, on display at Baharestan Square in Tehran in 2017 (Photo: Vahid Salemi/AP)
Iran is believed to have used medium-range ballistic missiles, including the Shahab-3, a derivative of a North Korean missile, and the Emad, a Shahab variant which is of Iranian design, according to Sidharth Kaushal, Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) in London.
But some newer missiles may have also been used, like the Hajj Qasem and Fattah-1. Both of them “have manoeuvrable re-entry vehicles” and are harder to detect, he said.
Iranian state media claimed on Monday that Israel was hit by the “Haj Qasem guided ballistic missile,” which Iran unveiled in May and which has an estimated range of nearly 1,000 miles.
However, Tal Inbar, an Israeli space and missile expert, told The i Paper he had seen no evidence this missile had been used.
How Israel’s air defences work
Israel’s multi-layered defences include its famous Iron Dome, which intercepts short-range surface-to-surface rockets, artillery and mortars, and David’s Sling, which intercepts short- to medium-range missiles and short-range ballistic missiles.
Israel’s missile defence system operates across multiple tiers
Iron Beam, a laser weapon that can destroy short-range fast-moving projectiles, was designed to work alongside the Iron Dome system.
The upper tiers of the air defence system consists of the Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 advanced missile systems, designed to intercept ballistic threats at different altitudes. Developed jointly by Israel and the United States, Arrow 2 targets short- to medium-range ballistic missiles in the upper atmosphere, while Arrow 3 is designed to destroy long-range ballistic missiles in space, outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
Arrow 3 offers an added layer of protection by allowing earlier interception, farther from Israeli airspace, and is particularly effective against high-altitude threats like those potentially launched from Iran.
This week Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed that it employed a new method that caused Israel’s layered defence systems to target each other, allowing Tehran to hit many targets. However, it gave no further details and there were no reports in Israel of interceptor missiles hitting each other. Inbar called Iran’s claim “totally untrue” and “pure imagination”.
Yet Iran managed to breach Israeli defences by overwhelming its systems with a high volume of missiles, allowing several to get through.
Despite the Iranian missile barrage, Israel’s air defences still achieved “a high success rate” of around 90 per cent, Kaushal said.
The aftermath of a reported missile strike fired from Iran on 17 June in the central coastal city of Herzliya, Israel (Photo: Amir Levy/Getty Images)
Iran’s level of success is not significant enough to suggest it resulted from any particular tactical or technological advancement, but rather it appears to have overwhelmed Israel’s defences through its sheer volume of missile fire.
“One must remember that no system provides preclusive defence and if a system is saturated with enough missiles some will get through,” said Kaushal.
“Interceptor numbers for these systems are unknown but the fact that the US has deployed a destroyer to abet the defence and is apparently considering further deployments would suggest that there is a meaningful risk of Israeli interceptor stockpiles running low,” Kaushal said.
Could Iran run out of missiles?
The Israel Defense Forces’ air superiority over Iran “exacerbates this challenge for Iran since many missiles and launchers are being pre-emptively struck,” said Kaushal. “Iranian MRBMs [medium-range ballistic missiles] are also a finite resource.”
Iranian missiles target a site in the city of Haifa, Israel on 16 June (Photo: Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)
“As such, the outcome of the test of endurance between the two sides is not yet certain,” he said.
According to some estimates, if Iran continues launching missiles at its current rate of around 200-300 missiles, it could most likely sustain the pace of fire for a few more days.
However, as Inbar points out, this depends entirely on how many missiles the Iranians use during its attacks. “It could be an attrition war, with one, two or three missiles at any time,” he said.
Israel, on the other hand, faces its own challenges as it relies heavily on US support in its aim to permanently remove Iran’s “existential” nuclear and ballistic missile threats.
President Donald Trump has remained reluctant to engage the US in another conflict in the Middle East and has consistently sought to distance himself from the escalating violence. Trump also reportedly rejected an Israeli plan to kill Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The US president is insisting he is determined to broker an end to the violence.
“Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform on Sunday, referencing his recent involvement in easing tensions between the two nuclear-armed South Asian nations over Kashmir.
State Department elevates travel advisory for Israel to “do not travel,” highest level
The State Department raises its travel advisory for Israel to Level 4, the highest level. It warns Americans not to travel to the country due to “armed conflict, terrorism and civil unrest” The U.S. Embassy in Israel was closed Monday because of the continued shelter-in-place. House Speaker Mike Johnson is postponing his trip to Israel due to the conflict between Israel and Iran.. The State Department said that the security environment in the region is “complex and can change quickly,” and warned that violence can take place in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza without warning. It told those who decide to go to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip to take certain precautions, including drafting a will and securing food, supplies and medicine.
The escalated warning from the State Department comes on the fourth day of attacks exchanged between Israel and Iran, which has launched retaliatory strikes against Israel after its sweeping attacks targeting military and nuclear infrastructure late last week. Tehran said at least 224 people have been killed in the assault since last Friday. At least 24 people in Israel have died in Iranian ballistic missile launches that have managed to make it through Israeli air defenses, Israel’s military said.
“The security situation in Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem is unpredictable, and U.S. citizens are reminded to remain vigilant and take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness as security incidents, including mortar and rocket fire and armed UAV intrusions and missiles, can take place without warning,” the State Department said in its travel advisory.
The department also warned Americans against traveling “for any reason” to the West Bank due to “terrorism and civil unrest” and to Gaza because of “terrorism and armed conflict.” It told those who decide to go to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip to take certain precautions, including drafting a will and securing food, supplies and medicine for an “extended or indefinite period” because of closed border crossings with Israel and Egypt.
“The U.S. government is unable to provide routine or emergency consular services to U.S. citizens in Gaza as U.S. government employees are prohibited from traveling there,” the advisory states. “The security environment within Gaza and on its borders is extremely dangerous and volatile.”
Israeli rescue workers and security personnel inspect and clear the buildings and area hit by an Iranian rocket on June 16, 2025, in central Tel Aviv, Israel. ALEXI ROSENFELN / Getty Images
The State Department said that the security environment in the region is “complex and can change quickly,” and warned that violence can take place in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza without warning. Additionally, it said “terrorist groups, lone-actor terrorists and other violent extremists continue plotting possible attacks in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza,” and may target tourist locations and transportation hubs, as well as areas popular with civilians like markets and shopping malls.
The elevated travel advisory comes after the Department of State on Saturday allowed family members of government employees and some non-emergency government workers to leave the region “due to the volatile and unpredictable security situation.” The U.S. Embassy had directed all U.S. government employees and their families to shelter-in-place.
The U.S. Embassy in Israel was closed Monday because of the continued shelter-in-place, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee said. He wrote on social media that the American consulate in Tel Aviv sustained “minor damage from concussions” of an Iranian missile that hit nearby, but no U.S. personnel were injured.
House Speaker Mike Johnson was set to address Israel’s parliament, known as the Knesset, on Sunday, but is postponing his trip due to the conflict between Israel and Iran, he announced.
“Due to the complex situation currently unfolding in Iran and Israel, Speaker Ohana and I have made the decision to postpone the special session of the Knesset,” he said in a statement. “We look forward to rescheduling the address in the near future and send our prayers to the people of Israel and the Middle East.”
Iran-Israel conflict raises alarm in Pakistan amid fears over own security
Pakistan and Iran have accused each other of harbouring armed groups responsible for cross-border attacks on their territories. The most recent flare-up occurred in January 2024, when Iran launched missile strikes into Pakistan’s Balochistan province, claiming to target the separatist group Jaish al-Adl. Pakistan retaliated within 24 hours, striking what it said were hideouts of Baloch separatists inside Iranian territory. Iran has launched hundreds of missiles into Israeli territory, resulting in more than 20 deaths and extensive property damage. More than 500 Pakistani nationals, mainly pilgrims and students, have returned from Iran in recent days. Pakistan has voiced staunch support for Tehran, but it has also closed five border crossings inBalochistan from June 15. Pakistan is willing to play a diplomatic role to help broker an end to the military hostilities between Iran and Israel, says its foreign minister Ishaq Dar. But Umer Karmer, a Middle East researcher at the University of Birmingham, suggested that for all the public rhetoric, Pakistan would be cautious about enmeshing itself too deeply in the conflict.
Yet 17 months later, after Israel attacked Iran with strikes on the latter’s nuclear facilities, and assassinated multiple Iranian generals and nuclear scientists, Pakistan was quick to condemn the Israeli action.
Islamabad described the Israeli strikes as violations of Iran’s territorial sovereignty and labelled them “blatant provocations”.
“The international community and the United Nations bear responsibility to uphold international law, stop this aggression immediately and hold the aggressor accountable for its actions,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on June 13.
As Israeli attacks on Iran, and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes, enter their sixth day, the deepening conflict is sparking fears in Islamabad, say analysts, rooted in its complex ties with Tehran and the even greater unease at the prospect of the Israeli military’s aerial influence extending close to the Pakistani border.
Immediate impact
The human toll from the spiralling Israel-Iran conflict is growing. Israel’s attacks on Iran have already led to more than 220 deaths, with more than a thousand people injured. In retaliation, Iran has launched hundreds of missiles into Israeli territory, resulting in more than 20 deaths and extensive property damage.
While Pakistan, which shares a 905km (562-mile) border with Iran via its southwestern province of Balochistan, has voiced staunch support for Tehran, it has also closed five border crossings in Balochistan from June 15.
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More than 500 Pakistani nationals, mainly pilgrims and students, have returned from Iran in recent days.
“On Monday, we had 45 students who were pursuing degrees in various Iranian institutions return to Pakistan. Almost 500 pilgrims also came back via the Taftan border crossing,” the assistant commissioner for Taftan, Naeem Ahmed, told Al Jazeera.
Taftan is a border town neighbouring Iran, situated in the Chaghi district in Balochistan, which is famous for its hills where Pakistan conducted its nuclear tests in 1998, as well as the Reko Diq and Saindak mines known for their gold and copper deposits.
At the heart of the decision to try to effectively seal the border is Pakistan’s worry about security in Balochistan, which, in turn, is influenced by its ties with Iran, say experts.
A complex history
Pakistan and Iran have both accused each other of harbouring armed groups responsible for cross-border attacks on their territories.
The most recent flare-up occurred in January 2024, when Iran launched missile strikes into Pakistan’s Balochistan province, claiming to target the separatist group Jaish al-Adl.
Pakistan retaliated within 24 hours, striking what it said were hideouts of Baloch separatists inside Iranian territory.
The neighbours patched up after that brief escalation, and during Pakistan’s brief military conflict with India in May, Iran studiously avoided taking sides.
On Monday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar addressed Parliament, emphasising how Pakistan had been speaking with Iran and suggesting that Islamabad was willing to play a diplomatic role to help broker an end to the military hostilities between Iran and Israel.
“Iran’s foreign minister [Abbas Araghchi] told me that if Israel does not carry out another attack, they are prepared to return to the negotiating table,” Dar said. “We have conveyed this message to other countries, that there is still time to stop Israel and bring Iran back to talks.”.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry told Al Jazeera that other nations needed to do more to push for a ceasefire.
“We believe we are playing our role, but the world must also do its duty. Syria, Libya, Iraq – wars devastated them. It even led to the rise of ISIS [ISIL]. We hope this is not repeated,” he added.
Fahd Humayun, assistant professor of political science at Tufts University and a visiting research scholar at Stanford, said that any Pakistani bid to diplomatically push for peace would be helped by the fact that the administration of President Donald Trump in the United States is also, officially at least, arguing for negotiations rather than war.
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But Umer Karim, a Middle East researcher at the University of Birmingham, suggested that for all the public rhetoric, Pakistan would be cautious about enmeshing itself too deeply in the conflict at a time when it is trying to rebuild bridges with the US, Israel’s closest ally.
“I doubt Pakistan has the capacity or the will to mediate in this conflict, but it definitely wants it to wind down as soon as possible,” he said.
Balochistan and security concerns
Pakistan’s greatest concern, according to observers, is the potential fallout in Balochistan, a resource-rich but restive province. Rich in oil, gas, coal, gold and copper, Balochistan is Pakistan’s largest province by area but smallest by population, home to about 15 million people.
Since 1947, Balochistan has experienced at least five rebellion movements, the latest beginning in the early 2000s. Rebel groups have demanded a greater share of local resources or outright independence, prompting decades of military crackdowns.
The province also hosts the strategic Gwadar port, central to the $62bn China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), linking western China to the Arabian Sea.
Baloch nationalists accuse the state of exploiting resources while neglecting local development, heightening secessionist and separatist sentiments. Baloch secessionist groups on both sides of the border, particularly the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and the Balochistan Liberation Front (BLA), have been waging a rebellion in Pakistan to seek independence.
“There is a major concern within Pakistan that in case the war escalates, members of armed groups such as BLA and BLF, many of whom live in Iran’s border areas, might try and seek protection inside Pakistan by crossing the very porous boundaries shared by the two countries,” Abdul Basit, a research fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, told Al Jazeera.
“Thus, Pakistan had to shut down the crossing in an attempt to control the influx. It remains to be seen whether they can successfully do that, but at least this is their objective.”
Worries about an Afghanistan redux
Since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, waves of Afghan refugees have sought shelter in Pakistan. The latest mass entry occurred after the Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021. At their peak, there were close to 4 million Afghans living in the country.
In 2023, however, Pakistan launched a campaign to send the refugees back to Afghanistan. According to government estimates, close to a million of them have been expelled so far. Pakistan has cited rising incidents of armed violence in the country, which it blames on groups that it says find shelter in Afghanistan, as a key justification for its decision. The Taliban reject the suggestion that they allow anti-Pakistan armed groups sanctuary on Afghan territory.
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Basit said Pakistan would likely want to avoid any repeat of what happened with Afghan refugees.
“With such a long border [with Iran], and a history of deep connection between people of both sides, it is not out of realm of possibility that it was this factor which factored in Pakistan’s decision to close the border,” he added.
Fears of Israeli aerial superiority
Baloch armed groups and the prospect of a refugee influx are not the only concerns likely worrying Pakistan, say experts.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that his air force has control over Tehran’s skies. And while both Israel and Iran continue to strike each other’s territory, Pakistan, which does not recognise Israel and views it as a sworn enemy, will not want Israeli influence over the Iranian airspace to grow and creep towards the Iran-Pakistan border.
“Pakistan is also averse to Israel achieving complete air superiority and control of Iranian airspace, as it would upend the current security status quo on Pakistan’s western flank,” Karim, the University of Birmingham scholar, told Al Jazeera.
Break from the past
Security analyst Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud, based in Islamabad, noted that Pakistan has historically sided with the US in regional wars, including in Afghanistan, but may hesitate this time.
A majority Sunni nation, Pakistan still boasts a significant Shia population – more than 15 percent of its population of 250 million.
“Pakistan has already dealt with sectarian issues, and openly supporting military action against [Shia-majority] Iran could spark serious blowback,” he said.