Lasers, secret weapons and more: Israel reportedly working on new box of surprises for Iran and co
Following its victory against Iran, Israel is heavily reinvesting in its military, focusing on advanced weaponry like the Iron Beam laser defense system. The recent conflict exposed vulnerabilities, prompting upgrades and replacements of key systems. Despite ongoing operations in Gaza straining resources, Israeli defense companies are experiencing record order backlogs, driven by both domestic needs and increasing global demand.
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Following its decisive victory in the 12-day war with Iran Israel is now pouring billions into replenishing its arsenal and developing a new generation of secret weapons, dubbed a 'box of surprises.'According to a report by Calcalistech, Israel's success in the recent conflict is widely credited to decades of strategic investment in military technology and deep intelligence penetration into the Iranian regime. The use of advanced standoff missiles—such as the Rampage and the ROCKS—allowed Israeli jets to hit critical components of Iran's air defense systems without even entering Iranian airspace. Meanwhile, Mossad-operated drones struck targets deep within Tehran, including high-ranking Revolutionary Guard officials and figures in Iran's nuclear program.'These capabilities required years of development and massive budgets. If not for key decisions made more than a decade ago, Israel could have found itself confronting Iran with limited options,' the report states. However, many of the systems used during the conflict have now been 'burned'—exposed through active combat—and must be upgraded or replaced. Intelligence agencies around the world are likely analyzing missile fragments to understand how Israel executed such precise strikes.One major focus for Israel's future defense strategy is the development of the, a laser-based air defense system seen as the next evolution of the Iron Dome. Unlike its predecessor, the Iron Beam boasts a 100-kilowatt-class high-energy laser that can neutralize rockets by detonating their propellant or warheads mid-air. With near-unlimited shots constrained only by power supply, the system promises drastically lower operational costs—estimated at just 14 cents per kilowatt-hour in Israel.The recent conflict has also drained Israel's military supplies, including interceptor missiles, bombs, and drone payloads. Hundreds of aircraft require intensive post-war maintenance. Despite procurement delays due to budget issues, Israeli defense companies—IAI, Rafael, and Elbit Systems—are operating at full capacity. In Q1 2025, their combined order backlog reached a record 235 billion shekels, driven by rising domestic and global demand.Meanwhile, Israel remains actively engaged in Gaza, where ongoing operations continue to test and stretch its military capabilities. The IDF is working to upgrade armored brigades with new APCs and Merkava tanks while dealing with the prolonged human and political toll of war.'Israel must end the war in Gaza, return the hostages, and extract lessons for the next phase with Iran,' said Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Gilead of Reichman University.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
17 minutes ago
- First Post
Satellite images show excavators at Iran's Fordow nuclear site — expert decodes what it means
Days after US airstrikes, satellite images have shown that Iran has deployed excavators and personnel at the Fordow nuclear sites. It appears that Iran is doing repairs and damage assessment at the site. read more Days after the US airstrikes, Iran has deployed heavy machinery at the Fordow nuclear site, according to latest satellite images. The United States struck the Fordow nuclear site with 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs . The other two nuclear sites struck with bunker busters and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles were the Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites respectively. Latest satellite images show personnel with excavators and cranes at the Fordow nuclear sites that analysts say appear to be engaged in repairs and damage assessment. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In satellite images taken on Sunday (June 29), an excavator and several personnel are positioned immediately next to the northern shaft on the ridge above the underground complex, Fox News' Jennifer Griffin quoted image-provider Maxar Technologies as saying. 'The crane appears to be operating at the entrance to the shaft/hole. Several additional vehicles are also seen below the ridge and are parked along the access path that was built to access the site,' Maxar further said. A satellite overview shows the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Facility, amid the Iran-Israel conflict, near Qom, Iran, June 29, 2025. Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters Iranians are actively working at the two MOP impact sites penetrating the ventilation shafts of the Fordow Enrichment Plant with heavy earth moving equipment including one excavator at each location. ALSO READ: 'Severe damage but not irreversible': Decoding satellite images of US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites The purpose of the Iranian activity captured in these images may include backfilling the craters as well as conducting engineering damage assessments and likely radiological sampling, according to David Albright, the President of the think tank Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS). 'The craters above the main shafts remain open. Two of the six MOP [Mass Ordnance Penetrator] impact points appear to have been covered by square slabs. In other areas, we have observed that the Iranians have also rapidly repaired the bomb cratering damage on the main entrance road from only a few days prior,' Albright further said in a post on X. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Maxar imagery taken yesterday (June 28) shows that the Iranians are actively working at the two MOP impact sites penetrating the ventilation shafts of the Fordow Enrichment Plant with heavy earth moving equipment including one excavator at each location. The purpose of this… — David Albright (@DAVIDHALBRIGHT1) June 29, 2025 As Firstpost previously reported, US airstrikes at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, caused significant damage, but did not cause irreversible damage from available evidence. There are also signs that while substantial damage was dealt to underground facilities housing centrifuges, near-weapons grade uranium may have been relocated before US strikes.
Time of India
17 minutes ago
- Time of India
Israel's Cato networks raises $359 million, valued at more than $4.8 billion
Israeli cybersecurity firm Cato Networks said on Monday it raised $359 million in a late stage private funding round that it said values the company at more than $4.8 investors, including Vitruvian Partners and ION Crossover Partners, as well as existing investors, including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Acrew Capital, and Adams Street Partners , participated in the financing latest investment brings the total funding raised to more than $1 billion, the company said, saying its mission is to "redefine enterprise security for the digital and AI era."
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
32 minutes ago
- First Post
Iran's nuclear programme wasn't 'obliterated' or 'set back decades', as Trump said
Contrary to Donald Trump's assertions, Iran's nuclear infrastructure was damaged and not destroyed and experts and leaked intelligence assessments indicate the programme could be revived within months read more A satellite image shows airstrike craters over the underground centrifuge halls of the Natanz Enrichment Facility, following US airstrikes amid the Iran-Israel conflict, in Natanz County, Iran. Maxar Technologies/Reuters Despite US President Donald Trump's repeated assertions that Iran's nuclear programme has been 'obliterated' and 'set back decades,' early intelligence assessments suggest otherwise. A preliminary analysis from the US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), reported in American media, indicated that American and Israeli airstrikes on June 21 only delayed Iran's nuclear activities by a matter of months, not decades, and certainly not eliminated them. The DIA's report, though classified, was cited by multiple sources familiar with internal assessments. These officials suggested that the damage, while significant, did not dismantle the core industrial and technological infrastructure that underpins Iran's nuclear ambitions. The White House has pushed back hard against this narrative, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt calling the idea that 'unnamed Iranian officials' could know the extent of the damage 'nonsense,' asserting instead that 'their nuclear weapons program is over.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD IAEA director: Damage 'severe but not total' Echoing the cautious tone of US intelligence, Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told CBS News that while the strikes had caused severe damage, the destruction was not total. He emphasised that Iran still retained the ability to resume uranium enrichment within a matter of months, noting that the necessary capacities remained in place. He explained that Iran could operate a few cascades of centrifuges to produce enriched uranium, or even less than that. Grossi also warned against assuming that Iran's nuclear program had been eliminated. He said that, frankly, one could not claim that everything had disappeared and that nothing remained. He stressed that Iran's knowledge base and industrial capabilities were still intact, making it possible for enrichment activities to resume once operational challenges were overcome. Intercepted Iranian communications suggest limited damage The Washington Post reported that intercepted communications between senior Iranian officials seemed to show a consensus that the attacks were less devastating than initially feared. The newspaper cited four individuals with knowledge of the intercepted messages, suggesting that Iranian leadership had assessed the damage to their facilities as relatively contained. However, the credibility of these communications remains a subject of debate within intelligence circles. Another source, quoted by Reuters, confirmed their existence but labelled them 'unreliable indicators' of the real state of Iran's nuclear programme. A disputed narrative from the Trump administration Trump has remained unwavering in his version of events. In an interview with Fox News' Sunday Morning Futures, he described the operation as a 'spectacular military success,' claiming the nuclear programme was 'obliterated like nobody's ever seen before'. His defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, echoed this, insisting the strikes marked the 'end to their nuclear ambitions'. Yet, during a Pentagon press briefing, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine struck a more measured tone. Caine admitted that the full battle damage assessment was still ongoing and said it was 'too early' to determine exactly what capabilities Iran retained. He did, however, note that initial assessments showed 'extremely severe damage and destruction' at the targeted sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. Enrichment capacity could rebound quickly Despite the high-impact nature of the strikes, experts, including Grossi believed that Iran could resume uranium enrichment relatively quickly. He said if Iran wished to do so, it would be able to start the process again. He said that Iran was a very sophisticated country in terms of nuclear technology, and that its ability to restart centrifuge operations was based on years of accumulated knowledge that could not simply be undone. Grossi also highlighted the absence of IAEA inspectors on the ground as a critical blind spot. Since the strikes, Iran has denied inspectors access to the targeted facilities, citing security and political concerns. Tehran's UN ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, insisted inspectors were 'in Iran' but said they could not access specific sites. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Khamenei and mixed Iranian messaging The response from Iran's leadership has been uneven. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly dismissed the airstrikes as ineffective, saying they achieved 'nothing significant'. Yet Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged that the damage was 'excessive and serious'. This inconsistency has fuelled speculation that Iran may be deliberately downplaying the impact while preserving the appearance of resilience. Iran's military leadership, meanwhile, has expressed scepticism over Israel's commitment to the recently declared ceasefire. Armed forces chief Abdolrahim Mousavi said Tehran was prepared to respond 'with all our power' if provoked again. Diplomatic options still on the table Despite the heightened tensions, Grossi reiterated the importance of a diplomatic resolution. He said that the situation, following the military strikes, would ultimately require a long-lasting solution, which could only be a diplomatic one. He also noted that although Iran had consistently asserted its nuclear program was intended for peaceful purposes, the IAEA had been unable to verify those claims because Iran had refused to answer very important questions. Military action, limited impact While the Trump administration has celebrated the June 21 strikes as a decisive blow against Iran's nuclear programme, a growing body of evidence from intelligence assessments and international experts suggests a far more modest result. The damage to Iran's nuclear infrastructure was 'severe' but by no means 'total,' and the core capabilities — technological, industrial, and intellectual — remain intact. Iran could, according to the IAEA, begin spinning centrifuges again within months. As Grossi warned, military strikes alone are unlikely to end Iran's nuclear ambitions. With inspectors still barred and the region on edge, the enduring solution appears to lie not in airpower but in diplomacy.
