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Israeli officials mumble larger than 90 per cent of Iranian ballistic missiles absorb been intercepted, but experts stress no system is fully foolproof.
A man walks thru the positioning of an Iranian missile strike in Dimona on March 22, 2026. (Characterize: AFP)
Iran Israel War: As Iranian missiles slipped past Israel’s air defence programs, questions absorb emerged over Tel Aviv’s protection force capabilities. The breaches absorb unsettled public self belief, especially after strikes approach among the country’s most safe areas, mentioned a Recent York Times file.
Strikes approach Dimona shake self belief
Few locations in Israel are more closely guarded than its most well-known nuclear analysis facility and reactor, situated eight miles from Dimona within the southern Negev Barren dwelling. But on Saturday night time, two Iranian ballistic missiles hit residential areas in Dimona and the nearby metropolis of Arad, bypassing the country’s noteworthy-praised air defences.
The attacks, which took place about three hours aside, left even seasoned Israelis shaken. The Israeli protection force acknowledged it had tried interceptions but failed, prompting miserable questions about the reliability of its multi-layered defence system and its capability to guard civilians, essentially based entirely on a file by The Recent York Times.
Concerns over interceptor use and stockpiles
The incidents absorb also revived concerns that Israel would possibly perchance well be limiting the use of its most superior and dear interceptors. Reports recommend stockpiles would possibly perchance absorb been reduced all the way thru final 365 days’s 12-day battle with Iran.
These worries would possibly perchance well intensify if the recent campaign continues, especially after Lt Gen Eyal Zamir, Israel’s protection force chief, mentioned the battle is most efficient “halfway”. Israeli officials have said they are investigating the failures but have not shared details.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the affected areas on Sunday and described the absence of fatalities as a “miracle”. He urged residents to prepare missile alerts and pass like a flash to bomb shelters, warning in opposition to complacency.
He did now not designate the failed interceptions or consult with the air defence programs collectively developed by Israel and the USA over decades. So some distance within the warfare, Iranian drones absorb posed minute threat.
Defence programs underneath scrutiny
Officials mumble larger than 90 per cent of Iranian ballistic missiles absorb been intercepted, but experts stress no system is fully foolproof.
A file by The Recent York Times quoted Ran Kochav, a reserve brigadier frequent and used air defence commander, as asserting that Dimona is safe by each and every Israeli and American programs, but added that “nothing is excellent” and described the incident as an operational failure. Brig Gen Effie Defrin, the military’s chief spokesman, said the failures in Arad and Dimona were not connected.
Israel’s defence network includes the Iron Dome, mainly used against short-range rockets, the Arrow 3 system designed to intercept ballistic missiles outside the earth’s atmosphere, and David’s Sling, which targets cruise missiles and medium-range threats. The US-made THAAD system is also deployed in the country.
Cost and limits of interception
Israel is now working to expand the use of more cost-effective systems such as Iron Dome and David’s Sling. However, the Arrow 3 system, its most advanced interceptor, is expensive and slow to produce, meaning it must be used carefully.
Israeli media reported that Arrow 3 was not used against the missiles that struck Arad and Dimona. During last year’s war, officials had already raised concerns about conserving interceptors and prioritising key areas.
The military has denied reports of shortages, saying it has prepared for prolonged combat and is monitoring supplies closely. Still, officials acknowledge that longer conflicts will strain resources.
According to NYT, Amir Baram, director general of Israel’s Ministry of Defence, recently travelled to Washington to request more interceptors and munitions, though it is unclear if the US has agreed. “It is not a bottomless barrel,” Kochav mentioned, noting that each and every interception would possibly perchance absorb to be weighed in opposition to future wants.
Casualties and harm
Round 175 people were injured within the strikes on Arad and Dimona, with out a longer decrease than 10 severely disaster, essentially based entirely on emergency companies and products. Many residents had reached bomb shelters in time, preventing greater lack of lifestyles.
Yitzhak Salem, 62, who became sheltering alongside with his spouse in Dimona, described the impact as feeling delight in “a storm blended with an earthquake”.
Lt Col Nadav Shoshani, a military spokesman, as quoted by NYT, said the missiles used were not new and had been intercepted successfully in the past. Of roughly 400 ballistic missiles fired by Iran into Israeli airspace over the past three weeks, only four managed to penetrate defences and hit targets directly. At least 15 civilians, including Israelis and foreign workers, have been killed in the strikes.
Risks from missile fragments
Beyond the main impact sites in Arad, Dimona, Tel Aviv and Beit Shemesh near Jerusalem, many other areas have been hit by falling missile fragments or smaller rockets released by cluster munitions. These have also caused deaths.
Experts say the only effective way to stop such cluster missiles is to intercept them outside the atmosphere before they break apart. Lower-level interceptions cannot prevent fragmentation.
Even advanced systems have limits. The Arrow 2 requires close proximity to destroy incoming missiles, while Arrow 3 depends on a direct hit, which experts say is extremely difficult – like two bullets colliding mid-air.
Some Iranian missiles can also change course, making interception harder. Even minor atmospheric changes can disrupt calculations, increasing the chance of failure.
Ballistic missiles encompass three ingredients – the engine, warhead and gasoline tank. The gasoline tanks steadily fall attend to the ground, posing dangers to civilians. Per experts, they’ll be as giant as a bus.
Meanwhile, Iran battle with Israel and US, which began on February 28, is on its fourth week.
First Printed:
March 23, 2026, 09:04 IST
Info world Cracks In The Defend: Iranian Strikes On Dimona, Arad Present Gaps In Israel’s Air Defence Machine
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