Iran hit five Israeli bases during 12-day war, radar data reveals

Express Tribune

a day ago

The radar-based findings suggest that six Iranian missiles reached targets in Israel's north, south, and centre, contradicting public claims of minimal damage to military infrastructure. PHOTO: REUTERS
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Iranian missiles struck five Israeli military bases during the recent 12-day war, according to radar data analyzed by researchers at Oregon State University and shared with The Telegraph.
The hits — which reportedly include a major air base, an intelligence centre, and a logistics hub — have not been disclosed by Israeli authorities due to strict military censorship.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) declined to confirm the reported strikes but stated:
'What we can say is that all relevant units maintained functional continuity throughout the operation.'
The radar-based findings suggest that six Iranian missiles reached targets in Israel's north, south, and centre, contradicting public claims of minimal damage to military infrastructure.
In addition to the newly revealed hits, 36 other Iranian projectiles are already known to have caused widespread damage to civilian and industrial areas. Though only 28 people were killed, over 15,000 were left homeless — a testament to the country's civil preparedness and alert systems.
The new evidence paints a more complex picture of Israel's air-defence performance. While the IDF and US-backed systems — including Iron Dome, David's Sling, Arrow, and the US THAAD system — intercepted the majority of incoming missiles, about 16% were breaking through by day seven, The Telegraph's analysis shows.
This aligns with an IDF statement citing an overall success rate of 87%.
Despite that performance, journalist Raviv Drucker of Channel 13 warned:
'There were a lot of [Iranian] missile hits in IDF bases, in strategic sites that we still don't report about to this day... It created a situation where people don't realise how precise the Iranians were and how much damage they caused in many places.'
Iranian officials and media have showcased videos of missiles breaching Israeli defences, often with revolutionary songs and satirical cartoons mocking the Iron Dome.
One Iranian official told The Telegraph:
'The main goal of firing [suicide drones] at Israel is always to keep their systems busy... Many don't even get through – they're intercepted – but they still cause confusion.'
Maj Gen Ali Fazli, deputy commander-in-chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, claimed on Iranian TV:
'Never before have we been at such a level in terms of military readiness, operational cohesion, and fighter morale.'
Israeli military sources countered, estimating that only half of Iran's 400 missile launchers were destroyed, leaving substantial capacity intact.
'We assessed that Iran had approximately 2,000 to 2,500 ballistic missiles at the beginning of this conflict... Their missile stockpile could grow to 8,000 or even 20,000 missiles in the next few years,' said one Israeli official.
Maj Gen Fazli responded that much of Iran's arsenal remains untouched:
'We have not yet opened the doors of even one of our missile cities... only about 25 to 30 per cent of existing missile capability has been used.'
Researchers from Oregon State say a fuller assessment of the war's impact will be published in two weeks.