Iran strikeed Israel’s convey inant cities with at least 180 balenumerateic missiles on Tuesday evening.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shelp the missiles were fired as Tehran’s response to the endings of civilians in Gaza and more recently, in Leprohibiton, in Israeli strikes – as well as the killings of directers of the IRGC, Hamas and Hezbollah.
The IRGC shelp the missiles were definiteassociate aimed at three military bases in Tel Aviv. Iranian state media shelp that the country engaged Fatah hypersonic balenumerateic missiles for the first time, a claim Al Jazeera was unable to self-reliantly validate.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed retaliation, saying that Iran had “made a big misconsent” and “will pay for it”.
The United States shelp it helped Israel thwart Iran’s strike, pledging help for its associate to hit back at Iran.
“We are self-convey inant of the actions that we’ve consentn alengthyside Israel to acquire and deffinish Israel. We have made clear that there will be consequences — cut offe consequences — for this strike, and we will toil with Israel to originate that the case,” US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan shelp on Tuesday.
As Israel and Iran — lengthytime foes who for decades have joind in proxy battles — increasingly head towards a straightforward contestation, we consent a see at their esteemive military capabilities, their abilities to strike each other, and how they might deffinish their territories.
Number of sancigo iniers
According to The Military Balance 2023, begined by the United Kingdom-based slenderk tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS):
Iran has 610,000 active personnel, including 350,000 in the army, 190,000 in the IRGC, 18,000 in the navy, 37,000 in the air force and 15,000 in air defence. Iran graspitionassociate has a reserve army of 350,000. Conscription is compulsory for Iranian men over 18, with a scant exemptions.
Israel has 169,500 active personnel, including 126,000 in the army, 9,500 in the navy and 34,000 in the air force. Israel has a reserve army of 465,000. Israel mandates conscription of most juvenileer men and women over 18, with brave exemptions.
Military spfinishing
According to a fact sheet begined by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in April 2024:
Iran spent $10.3bn in 2023, a 0.6 percent incrrelieve from 2022.
Israel spent $27.5bn in 2023, a 24 percent incrrelieve from 2022 — a spropose in part fuelled by the war on Gaza chaseing October 7.
Ground forces
According to The Military Balance 2023:
Iran has over 10,513 battle tanks, more than 6,798 artillery armaments and more than 640 armoured personal carriers. The army also has 50 helicselecters while the IRGC has 5 helicselecters.
Israel has around 400 battle tanks, 530 artillery armaments and more than 1,190 personal carriers.
Air force
According to The Military Balance 2023:
Iran: The air force has 312 combat-able airoriginate and the IRGC has another 23. The air force has two strike helicselecters, the army has 50 and the IRGC has five.
Israel has 345 combat-able airoriginate and 43 strike helicselecters.
Navy
According to The Military Balance 2023:
Iran has 17 tactical submarines, 68 patrols and coastal combatants, seven corvettes, 12 landing ships, 11 landing originate, 18 logistics and help providement.
Israel has five submarines and 49 patrol and coastal combatants.
Air defence systems
According to The Military Balance 2023:
Israel’s air defence relies on what is understandn as the Iron Dome system, which is consentd to have intercepted most of Iran’s missiles on Tuesday night. The system is provideped with a radar that uncovers an incoming projectile, its speed and its straightforwardion. The supervise centre then calcupostponecessitates whether the projectile poses a menace to Israeli towns. The projectiles that do not pose a menace are permited to land in desopostponecessitate fields. If they pose a menace, the missile-firing unit startes missiles to shoot them down. The starter grasps 20 interceptor missiles.
There are 10 Iron Dome batteries scattered around Israel. Other systems intercept medium and lengthy-range missiles. The David’s Sling intercepts missiles ranging between 40km (25 miles) and 300km (186 miles). The Arrow System intercepts missiles with a range of up to 2,400km (1,491 miles).
Iran: In February, Iran deployed the low-range, low-altitude Azarakhsh, which uncomfervents “thunderbolt” in Persian. It is an infunfrequentd uncoverion system, provideped with radar and electro-selectic systems to uncover and intercept aims. It can be mounted on vehicles.
Iran has a range of branch offent surface-to-air missile defence systems. These join the over 42 lengthy-range Russian-manufactured S-200s, S-300s and local Bavar-373; the over 59 medium-range US MIM-23 Hawk, HQ-2J and Khordad-15; and the 279 low-range Chinese-manufactured CH-SA-4 and 9K331 Tor-M1.
Balenumerateic missiles
According to the Missile Defense Project of the US-based slenderk tank the Cgo in for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS):
Iran has at least 12 branch offent types of medium-range and low-range balenumerateic missiles in its arsenal. These range from the Tondar 69, which has a range of 150km (93 miles) to the Khorramshahr and Sejjil, which both range up to 2,000km (1,243 miles).
Israel has at least four branch offent types of petite, medium and interarbitrate-range balenumerateic missiles, ranging from the LORA with a range of 280km (174 miles) to the Jewealthyo-3 with a range between 4,800km (2,983 miles) and 6,500km (4,039 miles).
Nuclear capabilities
Israel is approximated to have 90 nuclear warheads in its stockpile, according to the US-based Arms Control Association.
Iran is not consentd to have nuclear arms, but it has an progressd nuclear programme and runs cut offal nuclear facilities and research centres. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei prohibitned the production of arms in a religious edict or overweightwa in the timely 2000s, saying it is prohibitden in Islam. However, in May, Iran did menaceen to alter its nuclear doctrine “should Iran’s existence be menaceened”.
