Israel’s Bold Airstrikes Expose Tehran’s Vulnerabilities and Highlight Military Dominance
Despite lacking the element of surprise, Israel launched a sweeping series of airstrikes inside Iran on Thursday, underscoring its military dominance and exposing significant weaknesses in Iran’s defensive capabilities.
In contrast to previous years—when Israel appeared to calibrate its responses to Iran to avoid full-scale escalation—this latest operation marked a more aggressive shift in strategy. Analysts noted that Israel had “taken the gloves off,” opting for a broader and more forceful display of power.
According to Israeli officials, dozens of fighter jets participated in the initial phase of a larger campaign targeting critical Iranian assets, including its main uranium enrichment site, ballistic missile infrastructure, and high-ranking military personnel. In parallel, Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency reportedly conducted sabotage operations against Iranian air defense systems and missile batteries, as reported by Axios.
Iranian state media confirmed that the strikes resulted in the deaths of several senior military leaders and nuclear scientists, including the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami.
Even before this latest operation, Israel had already demonstrated its capacity to strike deep within Iranian territory with minimal consequences. Over the past year, Israeli forces have carried out targeted assassinations and bombings of key air defense systems without sustaining losses.
In both October and April of 2024, Israeli strikes successfully targeted Iran’s advanced S-300 air defense systems and facilities involved in producing solid fuel for ballistic missiles. These operations severely compromised Iran’s air defense capabilities—vulnerabilities that, according to Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, cannot be quickly repaired.
“It’s a vast country with countless high-value targets,” Knights explained. “But their air defenses simply aren’t sufficient to stop a sophisticated adversary like Israel.”
Despite its demonstrated ability to inflict heavy damage, Israel still lacks the specialized aircraft and munitions needed to effectively destroy Iran’s deeply buried nuclear facilities, according to military experts and former U.S. and Israeli officials. In response to Thursday’s strikes, analysts expect Iran to accelerate efforts to relocate its nuclear infrastructure deeper underground.
Tehran has also struggled to retaliate effectively. Following the deaths of seven Revolutionary Guard officers in an Israeli strike in Damascus last April, Iran launched a barrage of over 300 drones and missiles at Israel—most of which were intercepted by Israeli, American, and allied regional defenses.
A similar retaliatory effort occurred after Israel targeted Hezbollah leadership in Lebanon, prompting Iran to fire more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israeli territory. The result: minimal damage and another stark reminder of the growing imbalance in military capabilities between the two adversaries.
