
As Israeli Air Defences Crumble Before Iran, India Gets Desperate Call – Here's What Happened
The reason? Ammunition shortages, cracks in their air defense net and the growing urgency to refill stockpiles and salvage what remains of Israel's defense capability against Iran's long-range missile assault.
No official details of the call have been made public by either country. But its timing speaks volumes.
Iran has launched hundreds of ballistic and hypersonic missiles on Israeli cities under its ongoing Operation True Promise-3. Among them is the Fateh hypersonic missile, which slipped through Israel's famed defense systems and struck targets in Tel Aviv.
Co-developed with the United States, Israel's Arrow missile defense system was designed to stop such threats. But reports suggest Tel Aviv is now dangerously low on these missiles. Without a quick resupply or U.S. intervention, Israeli defenses could soon be overwhelmed.
Out of the 300+ missiles fired by Iran in recent days, at least 40 are reported to have bypassed Israeli air defenses – including the Iron Dome. It has caused major damage in Haifa and Tel Aviv. The situation has forced Israel to reassess its inventory and consider foreign partners for urgent help.
Why India Suddenly is Critical
India's success with integrated missile defense during Operation Sindoor, especially its Akashteer and IAACS systems, caught the attention of many military watchers. These systems successfully intercepted multiple Pakistani missiles and drones just last year.
Now, Israel seems to be turning to India for similar support, whether technical, material or strategic. Baram's call to India's Defence Secretary was not casual. Singh directly oversees India's arms procurement and ammunition production. Any request for urgent weapons transfers or co-development talks would go through his office.
A day before the call, Baram had inspected Israeli arms production lines at Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), checking stocks and gauging what could be mobilised and what needed outside support.
India and Israel have built one of the world's most confidential and enduring defense partnerships. During the Kargil conflict, it was Israeli drone tech and laser-guided munitions that helped India retake mountain posts.
More recently, India used Israeli Rampage missiles and Harop/Harpy drones during airstrikes against terror camps in Pakistan.
During Operation Sindoor, Indian jets relied on Israeli systems to destroy enemy radar and supply lines. Trust runs deep.
Now, that trust is being tested the other way.
While the call itself is a sign of urgency, it may also mark the start of a quiet defense corridor opening up again between New Delhi and Tel Aviv. India has traditionally kept a low profile during Israel's wars, choosing diplomacy over overt support. But in the background, joint ventures, weapons transfers and intelligence sharing have remained active.
With Iran pushing deeper into Israeli airspace and American support delayed, Tel Aviv may soon need more than quiet words. It may need real systems, real ammo and real allies. And India, once again, is at the top of that list.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New Indian Express
21 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Hamas says discussing proposals after Trump pushes for 60-day-ceasefire deal
JERUSALEM: Palestinian group Hamas said on Wednesday it was discussing proposals for a Gaza ceasefire received from mediators, after US President Donald Trump claimed Israel had agreed to a 60-day ceasefire that would temporarily halt its genocidal operations in the territory. Nearly 21 months of Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 57,012 Palestinians, with more than half being women and children. Israel has also targeted and killed hundreds of journalists, health care workers and aid workers. At least 33 Palestinians were killed in Gaza on Wednesday. Hamas said in a statement on Wednesday it was "conducting national consultations to discuss what we received from the proposals of the... mediators." It said it aimed "to reach an agreement that guarantees ending the aggression, achieving the withdrawal (of Israel from Gaza) and urgently aiding our people in the Gaza Strip." Trump had on Tuesday urged Hamas to accept the temporary ceasefire, saying Israel had agreed to finalise such a deal. The Israeli government has not commented on that claim. Without directly mentioning Trump's remarks, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said that "a large majority within the government and the population is in favour" of a deal to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. "If the opportunity arises, it must not be missed!" Saar wrote on X. Out of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants during Hamas's 2023 attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. On the ground in southern Gaza, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that five members of the same family were killed in an Israeli air strike on Wednesday that hit a tent housing displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area.


Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows 'there will be no Hamas' in postwar Gaza
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday vowed "there will be no Hamas " in postwar Gaza . US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The US leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire, and hostage agreement and bring about an end to the war. Hamas said in a brief statement Wednesday that it had received a proposal from the mediators and is holding talks with them to "bridge gaps" to return to the negotiating table to try to reach a ceasefire agreement.


Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
No hesitation in wiping out terrorists, wherever they are: Rajnath Sigh
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday asserted that the Narendra Modi government will not hesitate to eliminate terrorists, wherever they are, and that no distinction will be made between masterminds and the regimes which sponsor them. The former BJP president's stern message to Pakistan , without mentioning the neighbouring country by name, came in his address to the party's state executive meeting in Bihar, where assembly elections are due this year. Singh said that under Modi, the country's policy on security has turned a new leaf with steps like surgical strikes and Balakot airstrikes . Referring to the military operation that followed the Pahalgam terror attack, he said, "Operation Sindoor marked the first time when we struck at terror hideouts 100 km beyond our borders. Of course, we hit only those who had hit us, a reason why no civilians nor any military installations were targeted". "Under Modi, our policy has been not to hesitate in eliminating terrorists wherever they are. And we shall do so without making a distinction between masterminds of terror attacks and regimes which sponsor them," said the defence minister. Live Events He added that the country's defence exports have seen a sharp rise, thanks to Modi's thrust on "swadeshikaran" (production at home) and " Aatma Nirbhar Bharat ". "The Modi government works with a long-term road-map, in marked contrast with Congress-led governments of the past, which lacked direction and were driven by vote bank concerns," said the Union minister. Singh also made an oblique reference to the controversy over RSS second in command Dattatreya Hosabale's remark that the words "secular" and "socialist" be dropped from the preamble of the Constitution, as those were inserted during the infamous Emergency. "I would like to ask fake secularists, after the word secular was added to the country's Constitution, why was it not added to the separate Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir? Should the state, where minority Hindus were being oppressed, not have been secular? Jammu and Kashmir became secular only after Article 370 was abrogated," he said. The BJP leader claimed that the party is the only political organisation in the entire world to have raised a voice against atrocities against minorities in neighbouring countries and taken a concrete step, in the form of CAA , upon coming to power. He said, "India has always believed in treating all faiths with respect. Parsis were accepted with open arms. We have one of the world's oldest churches in Kerala. Ours is the only land where all 72 sects of Islam are recognised." In contrast, even Ahmadiya Muslims are facing persecution in Pakistan, and one should not speak about minorities, Singh said. "The situation is horrifying in Bangladesh as well. The treatment meted out to Hindus there is a blot on humanity," said the defence minister.