Top US general gives play-by-play of the Patriot battle to shoot down Iranian missiles launched in retaliation
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
How Israel used Iran’s massive attacks to enhance its top ballistic missile shield
Israel’s top ballistic missile system, Arrow, has played a key role against Iran’s missiles. The first two battles last year helped the manufacturer prepare for this latest fight, the toughest yet. The CEO of the state-run Israel Aerospace Industries said the company is “analyzing each missile attack” against Israel on a case-by-case basis, whether it’s a single shot or a barrage of fire. The latest conflict began on June 13, when Israeli officials announced the start of a new operation to degrade Iran’s nuclear program and its military capabilities. Israel said the Iranian missiles have caused over 50 missiles across the country. Some missiles are allowed to go through if the site is irrelevant, but Iranian weapons have also, at times, made it through to strike civilian areas. The most famous part of Israel’s vaunted vaunted defense system is the top echelon of its vaunted air and sea defense system, the top layer of its air and water defense system. It’s called the “Arrow” system.
Arrow’s maker said it intercepted most of the missiles it engaged during the latest clash between Israel and Iran.
The CEO of Arrow’s manufacturer told BI that it has been upgraded since its first battle with Iran.
Israel’s top ballistic missile defenses — its Arrow systems — were just tested in their third-ever direct conflict with Iran. The first two battles last year helped the manufacturer prepare for this latest fight, the toughest yet.
Boaz Levy, the CEO of the state-run Israel Aerospace Industries, told Business Insider in an interview on Wednesday that the company is “analyzing each missile attack” against Israel on a case-by-case basis, whether it’s a single shot or a barrage of fire.
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“We do have lessons learned about system operation, about threat capabilities, and more,” he said.
The highly advanced Arrow systems are a joint product of IAI and the US aerospace contractor Boeing. Arrow 2, which was first deployed in 2000, can intercept missiles in the upper atmosphere. The newer Arrow 3 became operational in 2017 and can hit targets in space.
Both of the Arrow systems use a two-stage solid-fueled interceptor to destroy incoming ballistic missiles. Together, they make up the top echelon of Israel’s vaunted air defense network, the most famous part of which is Iron Dome for combating rockets, mortars, and artillery.
Israel’s Arrow systems make up the top layer of its air defense echelon. REUTERS/ Nir Elias
The Arrow systems have seen combat over the years, but they faced an unprecedented test in April 2024 when Iran fired some 120 ballistic missiles at Israel as part of a huge attack with cruise missiles and drones. Nearly all the threats were shot down.
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Arrow then defended against another large-scale barrage in early October when Iran launched over 180 ballistic missiles at Israel. And over the following months, the system has frequently been used to intercept missiles launched by the Tehran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Levy, Arrow’s chief engineer, explained that all these engagements ultimately helped prepare Arrow for its most significant test yet: the most recent conflict with Iran, which fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel over a 12-day stretch.
He said IAI develops Arrow in a “building blocks mechanism, which means that, every now and then, we are upgrading the system capability, utilizing a new building block.”
“During this time, between April last year to this attack, we did have several upgradations of the systems,” he said. “I believe that this is the right way to deal with it. So yes, we had lessons learned, and we improved the systems accordingly.”
Arrow 3 is designed to intercept targets in space. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
“It’s a software change that will lead us to a better capability,” he added.
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The latest conflict began on June 13, when Israeli officials announced the start of a new operation to degrade Iran’s nuclear program and its military capabilities. Israel then carried out sweeping airstrikes across the country over the next week and a half.
Iran retaliated by launching over 550 ballistic missiles and more than 1,000 drones at Israel, the latest Israeli government data shows. Most of those munitions were intercepted by air defenses.
Levy declined to say how many Iranian missiles Arrow engaged. But he said an initial analysis revealed that the systems intercepted at least 90% of the missiles that it targeted since June 13.
“I think that Arrow performed as expected,” Levy said. Israel said the Iranian missiles have caused over 50 impact sites across the country. Some missiles are allowed to go through if the impact site is irrelevant, but Iranian weapons have also, at times, made it through to strike civilian areas.
Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel since April 2024. Photo by Issam Rimawi/Anadolu via Getty Images
US Navy destroyers positioned in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea also provided air defense support for Israel in the latest conflict, as have American ground forces based in the Middle East. Available air defense assets in the region include MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.
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US officials have not disclosed exactly how many Iranian missiles American forces shot down. Washington has provided air defense for Israel during all three of its clashes with Tehran.
Levy hailed the air defense partnership between Israel and the US, describing it as “the right way to deal with a ballistic missile attack. I believe that this collaboration and coalition between allies is the right solution for that, especially when we are speaking about salvos,” referring to large waves of attacks.
The US military joined Israel’s offensive campaign last weekend, using stealth aircraft and a guided-missile submarine to launch airstrikes on three of Iran’s top nuclear facilities. Tehran retaliated on Monday by firing a volley of missiles at a major American base in Qatar. That retaliation was neutralized by the Patriot systems.
Later that day, as Israel and Iran continued to trade attacks, President Donald Trump announced that the two countries had agreed to a ceasefire. Several days later, the fragile deal appears to be holding up.
Read the original article on Business Insider
Ukraine war latest: Zelenskyy seeks more Western help at NATO
US President Donald Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The pair discussed how to achieve a ceasefire and real peace. Trump said he will now speak with Vladimir Putin about the Ukraine war. He said he is considering sending more Patriot missile batteries to Ukraine. He also said he thinks Putin has “been misguided” in his territorial ambitions. The NATO summit is now over and Ukraine wasn’t the main item on the agenda.
The NATO summit at The Hague is now over and while Ukraine wasn’t the main item on the agenda, the ongoing war with Russia was still discussed.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a series of bilateral talks with foreign leaders, including a meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the summit.
The Ukrainian president said he discussed how to achieve a ceasefire and real peace with Trump, adding the meeting was “substantive” and the pair discussed how to “protect our people”.
He also said the two leaders discussed the possible co-production of drones and that he told Trump “the facts of what is happening on the ground”.
Speaking this afternoon, Trump admitted he and Zelenskyy had previously had some “rough times” but that his Ukrainian counterpart “couldn’t have been nicer” today.
He said he will now speak with Vladimir Putin about the war and “see if we can get it ended”, adding that the Russian leader would “like to get out of this thing” and that the war has “been a mess for him”.
Answering a question about whether Putin has any territorial ambitions beyond Ukraine, Trump said “it’s possible”.
He also said he thinks the Russian president has “been misguided” and adds: “I’m very surprised, actually. I thought we should have settled that easily.”
US considering extra Patriots for Ukraine
At one moment during his remarks, Trump was asked a question about the Patriot missile systems by a woman who revealed her husband was serving in the Ukrainian army.
“That’s a very good question,” Trump said. “And I wish you a lot of luck. I mean, I can see it’s very upsetting to you. So say hello to your husband.”
On the question itself, Trump said he is considering sending more Patriot missile batteries to Ukraine to help Kyiv fend off Russian attacks.
He said the air-defence missiles are “very hard to get” but that “we are going to see if we can make some of them available.”
In other Ukraine news…
U.S. claims strikes caused ‘severe damage’ and warns Iran against retaliation
People who had evacuated were returning to Tehran after what had felt like two days of relative calm. But that sense of calm was proved false by the U.S. strikes last night. Now, there’s heightened security entering Tehran: multiple checkpoints along the roads.
Instead, that sense of calm was proved false by the U.S. strikes last night.
Downtown Tehran yesterday. Morteza Nikoubazl / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Now, there’s heightened security entering Tehran: multiple checkpoints along the roads, and cars are being thoroughly searched to identify any potential internal threats. The people who are returning are not doing it because it feels safe, but because they have to.
Inside Tehran, most places are still closed. Only essential medical services are running and maybe a few drugstores for urgent needs. Government jobs are on hold, some private companies are working remotely, and factories are opening if their workers are willing to return. Many are scared for their lives, and the city remains mostly empty and eerie, more empty even than during the pandemic.
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Israel-Iran war LIVE: ‘Tehran will burn,’ Israel warns Iran of severe retaliation
Israel declared a state of emergency after the ‘preemptive’ strikes against Iran. The country said that the attack was necessary to ward off what they described as an imminent threat that Iran would build nuclear bombs. Iran has confirmed it launched ballistic missile attacks on several Israeli targets and shot down Israeli jets. This was in response to overnight Israeli airstrikes that killed top Iranian officials, including Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami.
Israel-Iran war LIVE: Israel, meanwhile, declared a state of emergency after the “preemptive” strikes against Iran. The country said that the attack was necessary to ward off what they described as an imminent threat that Iran would build nuclear bombs.
Israel-Iran war LIVE: Israel had struck Iran under “Operation Rising Lion”, claiming Iran’s nuclear program was nearing a dangerous point.
Israel-Iran war LIVE: Iran has confirmed it launched ballistic missile attacks on several Israeli targets and shot down Israeli jets. This was in response to overnight Israeli airstrikes that killed top Iranian officials, including Revolutionary Guards chief Hossein Salami and six nuclear scientists. Israel had struck Iran under “Operation Rising Lion”, claiming Iran’s nuclear program was nearing a dangerous point.
After the strikes, Iran sent over 100 drones toward Israel. Israel said it was intercepting the drones and sounded air raid sirens in several areas, including Tel Aviv, where people rushed to shelters. The Israeli army also detected a missile from Yemen.
Israel’s Defence Minister warned that retaliation was expected. Prime Minister Netanyahu said the goal of their operation was to damage Iran’s nuclear and military sites and eliminate the threat. Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei warned Israel of a “bitter and painful fate.” The U.S. has begun pulling personnel from the region, repeating it will not let Iran get nuclear weapons.
LIVE NEWS & UPDATES
Iran finally reveals what happened to its nuclear programme in strikes as Nato chief fawns over ‘daddy’ Trump: RECAP
The president of the U.S. has called for an end to Iran’s nuclear programme. He said it was a ‘bad idea’ to use nuclear weapons in the Middle East. He also called for the end of Iran’s use of nuclear weapons, saying they were ‘bad for the world’
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei conceded there had been significant impact caused by American bunker-busting bombs at the country’s three main nuclear sites at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz.
It comes after Trump insisted the nuclear facilities were ‘obliterated’ and compared his airstrikes to the two nuclear bombs dropped on Japan at the end of World War II.
Meanwhile NATO chief Mark Rutte suggested Donald Trump dealt with Israel and Iran’s war in the Middle East like a ‘daddy’ who uses ‘strong language’ to stop two children fighting in a schoolyard.
Rutte has put on a deferential and even fawning display with the US president, calling his intervention in the conflict ‘decisive’ and labelling him a ‘man of strength but also a man of peace’.
Trump yesterday shared private messages from Rutte which also showed him gushing over the ‘extraordinary’ US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, which the US leader said ‘obliterated’ the sites.
Live updates below