Overview

• Israel’s Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow systems have intercepted the majority of hundreds of incoming drones and missiles launched by Iran and its proxies.
• Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has claimed to use new tactics that caused Israel’s layered defences to target each other, allowing some strikes to get through.
• Brief breaches occurred during an October 2023 Hamas rocket barrage and a Hezbollah drone attack in late 2024, but overall damage has been minimal compared with the volume of projectiles.
• The United States has bolstered Israel’s air defences with a THAAD battery and Patriot systems to counter medium- and long-range missile threats.
• Israel is developing the laser-based Iron Beam interceptor to achieve lower per-shot costs and enhance protection against swarms of rockets and drones.