Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Four martyrs and wounded after occupation aircraft targeted a house near the Jordanian Hospital in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, southwest of Gaza City
Civil Defense in Gaza: An Israeli strike on civilians in central Gaza City resulted in 11 martyrs, including a doctor and a child, and more than 50 others injured
Russian Foreign Ministry: Western media continues to reveal its true nature as a tool in the hands of political elites, intelligence agencies, and the so-called deep state
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 50 martyrs in Israeli raids on the Gaza Strip since dawn today, including 20 in the al-Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip
Al Mayadeen’s correspondent: The number of martyrs in the al-Samer massacre in central Gaza City has risen to 12, with dozens wounded
The Ofer military court has ruled to extend the detention of journalist Nasser Al-Lahham until next Tuesday
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Six martyrs and wounded reported following an Israeli airstrike on the al-Samer junction in central Gaza City
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Occupation aircraft bombed a crowded market near the al-Samer junction in the al-Daraj neighborhood, central Gaza City
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The occupation has perpetrated a massacre targeting the al-Samer junction in Gaza City
Pezeshkian: Iran aims to strengthen ties with its neighbors in the pursuit of peace and stability, not to display its power, but to make clear that it will not yield to injustice or hegemony

Iran, Hezbollah retaliation to put shaky Israeli air defenses to test

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Financial Times + Bloomberg
  • 5 Aug 2024 21:23
  • 1 Shares
5 Min Read

Media reports suggest that the anticipated Iranian and Lebanese responses to the recent Israeli assassinations would overwhelm the Israeli air defenses.

Listen
  • x
  • Israeli defenses under test ahead of coming Iran, Hezbollah response
    The Israeli Iron Dome air defense system fires to intercept an attack from Lebanon over the al-Jalil region as seen from the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (AP)

The history of Israeli invasions of Lebanon is marked by failure and "Israel’s" renowned Iron Dome air defense system risks being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of Hezbollah's missiles, suggested John Sawers, former head of the British Secret Intelligence Service MI6 and UK ambassador to the UN.

In an opinion piece published in the Financial Times news website, Sawers highlighted that Hezbollah poses a great threat to "Israel" with its arsenal of rockets and missiles and its claimed 100,000-strong fighters.

He mentioned that when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military chiefs wanted to invade Lebanon after October 7, the premier "held them back."

However, according to Sawer, it seems that Netanyahu's "thinking seems to have evolved," adding that the unwritten rules that govern the low-level fighting between "Israel" and Hezbollah indicated that the assassination of top Hezbollah commander Fouad Shokor in Beirut was not justified by the missile that struck the Druze town of Majdal Shams in the occupied Syrian Golan.

"It was a deliberate escalation by Israel," he suggested.

Sawers considered that "Israel's" assassination of the head of Hamas' Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Shokor in Beirut revealed Netanyahu's priorities and strategy.

The Israeli Prime Minister "is prepared to escalate tensions in the region rather than seeking to calm them," he pointed out.

Sawer said that Haniyeh's assassination also proves that Netanyahu is not interested in a ceasefire in Gaza and a prisoner exchange deal with Hamas, adding that the release of Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip "doesn’t feature prominently in his strategy" as he has turned down numerous deals supported by his own security officials.

The former MI6 chief emphasized that Netanyahu wants Donald Trump back in the White House, especially that Democratic alternative Kamala Harris "lacks Joe Biden’s long engagement and heartfelt sympathy for Israel."

He described the Republican presidential hopeful as "the most easily manipulated US President Israel has ever enjoyed."

According to Sawer, Netanyahu is aware that the United States will have to intervene to support "Israel" if an open war breaks out with Iran or Hezbollah.

But the former UK ambassador to the UN explained that this would ignite divisions within the Democrats and could lead to Harris losing a major swing state like Michigan, where 2% of the population is Arab-American, which explains the urgent efforts by the Biden administration to avoid an imminent war in Lebanon, contrary to Netanyahu's goal.

Related News

Sanaa slams UN envoy over biased statement on Red Sea operations

Mass rallies in Sanaa show unwavering solidarity with Gaza, YAF

Can Israeli air defenses withstand the Axis of Resistance's attacks?

In a related context, Bloomberg discussed the threats facing "Israel" and its air defense systems as it prepares for the possibility of new aerial attacks from Iran, Hezbollah, and Yemen.

The news website said that "Israel’s" billion-dollar air defense systems are being tested, especially as Hezbollah and the Yemeni Armed Forces have intensified their use of kamikaze drones, "which have proven more effective at evading Israel’s high-tech defenses than missiles and rockets."

The report mentioned that Iran is believed to possess a substantial stockpile of ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as inexpensive drones, which it used in mid-April in its retaliation against the Israeli aggression that targeted its consulate in Damascus.

Regarding Hezbollah, Bloomberg emphasized that the Lebanese group is believed to have an arsenal of over 150,000 missiles, including long-range and precision-guided ones.

According to Israeli assessments, these missiles could potentially reach deep into "Israel", targeting major cities and strategic assets such as military bases, airports, power grids, and hospitals.

As for the Yemeni Armed Forces, the report highlighted that, in addition to targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea, the YAF have been launching ballistic missiles and drones toward "Israel".

It recalled that on July 19, a YAF drone struck a building in Tel Aviv, killing one settler and injuring several others.

Discussing the Israeli air defenses' ability to repel multiple attacks, Bloomberg noted that Hezbollah has already caused damage in the north of occupied Palestine since October using one-way drones, with many of them capable of evading Israeli defenses.

It added that the Yemeni drone attack on Tel Aviv, which did not trigger any warning sirens, "underscored Israel’s vulnerability to incoming drones."

Moreover, the report pointed out that the Israeli occupation military has confirmed that its air defenses, including the Iron Dome, could be overwhelmed if a large number of projectiles were launched simultaneously.

This comes as "Israel" estimates that Hezbollah could launch around 3,000 rockets and missiles each day during a war, "far exceeding the capacity of the systems designed to intercept them."

The Bloomberg report revealed that in light of these factors, the United States is assembling a regional coalition to counter the anticipated Iranian bombardment of "Israel", as the conditions of the April attack, which excluded Hezbollah's involvement, may not be repeated in the next attack.

Read more: Without US to the rescue, 'Israel' would be dealt a severe blow: INSS

  • Yemeni Armed Forces
  • Israel
  • Hezbollah
  • Yemen
  • YAF
  • Iran
  • Iron Dome
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemeni air defenses repel substantial part of Israeli aggression

Yemeni air defenses confront Israeli aggression on Hodeidah

  • Politics
  • 7 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Trump announces Mexico, EU rariffs of 30%
US & Canada

Trump slaps trade partners, Mexico, EU, with 30% tariffs from Aug. 1

Deal struck to create new state of New Caledonia
Europe

France announces State of New Caledonia, except with a twist

Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, center, inspects a live-fire shooting training in Hsinchu County, Taiwan, Thursday, July 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US demands allies' plans in event of Taiwan war erupting

Israeli settlers kill American-Palestinian visiting West Bank
Palestine

Israeli settlers kill American-Palestinian visiting West Bank

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS