Israel's air superiority lets it strike Iran on the cheap — and force Tehran into costly retaliation
Israeli fighter jets have battered Iran's air defenses, allowing them to operate more freely.
The degraded surface-to-air missile threat means Israeli aircraft can use cheaper weapons to strike.
Iran, meanwhile, is left retaliating with its more expensive ballistic missiles.
The Israeli military says it has achieved air superiority over swaths of Iran, including the capital Tehran, after battering the country's air defenses in recent bombing runs.
The Monday declaration that Israel has an overwhelming advantage in the air comes just a few days into an intensive operation aimed at degrading Iran's nuclear program and wiping out its military capabilities, including a substantial number of surface-to-air missile launchers.
Israel is operating its F-35I stealth fighter jets above Iran and also its fourth-generation aircraft, like the F-16 and F-15, that lack some of the same low observable capabilities but can drop cheap glide bombs on Iranian targets.
On Sunday, Israeli fighter jets struck the Mashhad airport in eastern Iran, some 1,400 miles away, marking Israel's longest-range attack since beginning its bombing campaign and further underscoring its ability to fly largely uncontested above Iran.
The effective Israeli strikes on Iranian air defenses and military airports "will degrade Iran's ability to restrict Israeli operations in its airspace," the Institute for the Study of War, a conflict studies think tank in Washington, DC, said on Sunday.
Weapons analysts have identified Israeli fighter jets armed with Joint Direct Attack Munitions. JDAMs, which are made by the US defense contractor Boeing, are dumb bombs fitted with relatively cheap guidance kits that turn them into precision-guided munitions. These weapons are not considered stand-off weapons.
Analysts have also spotted Israeli aircraft armed with SPICE bombs. Like JDAMs, guidance kits that turn dumb bombs into precision weapons. They are made by the local defense firm Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
Open-source intelligence accounts have noted the use of JDAMs and SPICE — which stands for Smart, Precise Impact, Cost-Effective — bombs in the airstrikes across Iran, including around Tehran. Israel's ability to fire these munitions suggests it is less concerned about defenses and does not necessarily have to employ its more expensive missiles for high-value targets. It has more options.
Iran, which lacks a strong air force, has retaliated against Israel by firing more than 370 ballistic missiles in multiple waves since Friday. There have been at least 30 impact sites so far, killing two dozen people and wounding over 590 others, according to Israeli government statistics.
Ballistic missiles, which can cost millions of dollars apiece, are much more expensive than the individual JDAMs and SPICE bombs Israel is using to strike Iran. A single JDAM, for instance, may cost only tens of thousands of dollars.
By firing multiple salvos of missiles, Iran is depleting its stockpiles; it is estimated to have hundreds, possibly thousands, that can reach Israel. Israel said on Monday that it had destroyed a third of Tehran's launchers during the fight, limiting its ability to get missiles off the ground.
Iran has also launched hundreds of drones at Israel. While these are much cheaper than the missiles — Tehran's notorious Shahed-136 drone is estimated to cost as little as $20,000 — these weapons also travel significantly slower and are much easier to intercept.
However, Iran's missile and drone fire forces Israel to expend valuable air defenses, adding to a growing financial toll. At the lower end, a single Iron Dome interceptor costs some $50,000. A missile launched from the Arrow-3 system, which can intercept incoming targets in space, costs several million dollars.
US officials said American forces in the region have helped to shoot down Iranian missiles aimed at Israel, but they have said that Washington is not involved in offensive operations.
Israeli officials announced the start of "Operation Rising Lion," aimed at degrading Iran's nuclear program, last Friday.
Israeli fighter jets have carried out widespread airstrikes across Iran, targeting its nuclear facilities and top scientists, in addition to other military targets, such as Tehran's missile launchers, weapons production sites, air defenses, and senior commanders.
The operation could derail President Donald Trump's efforts to reach a new nuclear deal with Iran. Tehran argues that its nuclear program is for civilian use only. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long pushed for a military approach to deal with what he describes as an existential threat.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Magazine
26 minutes ago
- Time Magazine
Trump's Public Rebuke of Tulsi Gabbard's Statement on Iran
President Donald Trump has said that his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was "wrong" to say that Iran is not currently building a nuclear weapon. When asked about the claims made by his intelligence community, specifically Gabbard, Trump was clear, telling reporters on Friday: 'She's wrong.' In March, Gabbard testified in front of Congress that the intelligence community [IC] 'continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon, and Supreme Leader [Ali] Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003. The IC continues to monitor, closely, if Tehran decides to reauthorize its nuclear weapons program." The testimony has resurfaced as Trump weighs his options regarding a potential U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, as the Middle Eastern countries trade deadly missiles after Israel launched an operation against Iranian military targets and nuclear facilities on June 13. Read More: Iran Issues New Grave Warning, Says U.S. Involvement in Israel Conflict Would Be 'Very Dangerous for Everybody' Trump's latest comments echo those he made to reporters on Air Force One on June 17, when he said he did not 'care' about what Gabbard had testified earlier in the year. 'I don't care what she said, I think they were very close to having one,' Trump said of his belief that Iran was inching towards having a nuclear weapon. Central to Trump's stance regarding Israel's initial assault on Iran is his belief that Iran has been moving closer to nuclear capability. He has plainly said that 'Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.' Trump's stance, bolstered by a May 31 International Atomic Energy Agency report (that stated Iran had accumulated roughly 120 kg of uranium enriched to 60%, dangerously close to weapons-grade levels of 90%), undermines previous reports by U.S. intelligence, including that of Gabbard, a former Democrat. Read More: How Netanyahu Pushed Trump Toward War In response to Trump's new assertion that she was 'wrong' in her previous testimony, Gabbard took to social media on Friday, stating that her words had been taken out of context by "dishonest media." Gabbard maintains that she and Trump are on the same page. "The dishonest media is intentionally taking my testimony out of context and spreading fake news as a way to manufacture division," Gabbard said. "America has intelligence that Iran is at the point that it can produce a nuclear weapon within weeks to months, if they decide to finalize the assembly. President Trump has been clear that can't happen, and I agree." Attached to the post was a longer video of her testimony, which also included her claims that 'Iran's enriched uranium stockpile is at its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons.' Read More: The 5 Groups Hoping to Sway Trump on Iran Trump reportedly still has 'full confidence' in his intelligence team, according to White House communications director Steven Cheung, but the open disagreements between Trump and members of his Administration signal splinters over the Israel-Iran conflict. The President is facing questions from both within and outside the Republican party, as he weighs up his options during a self-imposed two-week deadline about whether the U.S. will intervene, despite him campaigning on staying out of wars overseas. Republican lawmakers Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky have both openly disapproved of any potential U.S. military intervention. Read More: Breaking Down the Feud Between Trump and Tucker Carlson Amid Divide Over Israel-Iran Conflict Meanwhile, former Fox News host Tucker Carlson—a long-time ally of Trump, who even hit the campaign trail with him in 2024—has also spoken out against any U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict. Carlson's initial comments prompted a blistering response from Trump, and their disagreement soon took a personal turn as the feud escalated. While the situation appears to have since settled—Trump said Carlson called and apologized for his 'strong' words—it's clear that the subject of the Israel-Iran conflict and how the U.S. should move forward is proving to be a divisive one.
The Hill
27 minutes ago
- The Hill
US moving B-2 bombers as Trump weighs Iran response: Reports
Department of Defense (DOD) officials are moving B-2 bombers across the Pacific as President Trump weighs intervening in Israel's war on Iran. Reports from Reuters say the 30,000-pound 'bunker buster bombs' will be stored on the island of Guam while Trump considers the possibility of striking Iran. The DOD referred The Hill's request for comment to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Flight tracking data shows several aircraft leaving Travis Air Force Base with B-2s following the president's statement allotting a two-week deadline for a decision on U.S. intervention in Iran. The bombers were originally being held in Missouri and would likely be used to damage the Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant in Iran. Fordo is Iran's second nuclear enrichment facility after Natanz, which was hit by Israeli forces on Friday. The attacks damaged the facility and furthered the Israeli objective to obliterate Iran's efforts to develop nuclear weapons of war. Israel on Saturday said it struck an Iranian nuclear facility in Isfahan and killed two additional top commanders as the clash between the two Middle Eastern countries expands. Israeli Air Force fighter jets later in the day also moved to strike military infrastructure in southwestern Iran, according to an Israeli military statement. Ahead of Saturday's strikes, Iran fired 40 drones overnight on Friday that were intercepted by Israel, according to the IDF. 'We've been able to take out a large amount of their launchers, creating a bottleneck — we're making it harder for them to fire toward Israel,' an Israeli military official told AP on the condition of anonymity. 'Having said all that, I want to say the Iranian regime obviously still has capabilities.' Earlier this week, Israel Defense Forces said they'd killed multiple top commanders and nine engineers working on Iran's nuclear projects. Trump said the conflict would continue until an 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER' was supported by Iran. However, the Iranian Supreme Leader said they would continue to defend themselves amidst the rubble. 'I would like to tell our dear nation that if the enemy senses that you fear them, they won't let go of you. Continue the very behavior that you have had up to this day; continue this behavior with strength,' Ali Khamenei wrote in a post on X.
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Sheltering in a bunker, Iran's supreme leader names potential successors
Khamenei has taken an extraordinary series of steps to preserve the Islamic Republic ever since Israel launched a series of surprise attacks last Friday. Although only a week old, the Israeli strikes are the biggest military assault on Iran since its war with Iraq in the 1980s. Iran appears to have overcome its initial shock, reorganizing enough to launch daily counterstrikes of its own on Israel. Iran's top officials are also quietly making preparations for a wide range of outcomes as the war intensifies and as President Donald Trump considers whether to enter the fight. Advertisement Peering inside Iran's closely guarded leadership can be difficult, but its chain of command still seems to be functioning, despite being hit hard, and there are no obvious signs of dissent in the political ranks. Khamenei, 86, is aware that either Israel or the United States could try to assassinate him. Given the possibility, the ayatollah has made the unusual decision to instruct his nation's Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible for appointing the supreme leader, to choose his successor swiftly from the three names he has provided. Advertisement Normally, the process of appointing a new supreme leader could take months, with clerics picking and choosing from their own lists of names. But with the nation now at war, the ayatollah wants to ensure a quick, orderly transition and to preserve his legacy. 'The top priority is the preservation of the state,' said Vali Nasr, an Iran expert and professor of international affairs at Johns Hopkins University. This article originally appeared in
