Israel Targets Iran’s S-300 Air Defence System in Attack, According to Report

In 2016, Russia finished delivering the S-300 air defense system to Iran. Last week, Isfahan province in Iran was targeted by drone and missile strikes, reportedly launched from Israel. The attacks aimed at Iran’s nuclear facility and air defense systems.

While American news agencies attributed the attacks to Israel, the country neither confirmed nor denied its involvement. These strikes followed Iran’s unprecedented drone, cruise, and ballistic missile attack on Israel, escalating tensions between the two nations. Satellite images displayed the Russian-origin S-300 anti-ballistic missile defense system positioned near Isafan International Airport in 2021 but showed it missing in the latest image.

The Natanz nuclear facility, north of the attack site, suffered damage according to the reports. The S-300 defense system includes radar-equipped vehicles, distinctive missile launchers, and other equipment and was reportedly struck by the drones and missiles, bypassing Iran’s air defense system undetected. Despite Iran’s claims of no detection of anything entering its airspace on the day of the attack, satellite images reviewed by the BBC and the New York Times showed damage to the facility.

The New York Times also reported that Israel’s attack was designed to demonstrate its capability to bypass Iran’s defense systems, while both sides have denied these claims. Russia’s delivery of the S-300 system to Iran in 2016 raised concerns in Israel and was preceded by the scrapping of a similar deal in 2010 due to pressure from the West.