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Israel's armed forces, thanks to US funding, surpass Iran's in terms of technology and capabilities, including advanced aircraft and modern ground systems. Iran, for its part, has a significant arsenal of long-range missiles and drones, but lacks technological superiority.
We offer an article by Stavros Atlamazoglu about what forces Iran and Israel have.
Iran launched an unprecedented direct attack on Israel, launching nearly 300 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and kamikaze drones, more than 99% of which were intercepted by Israel with international support. Despite the attack, damage was minimal and Israel vowed to retaliate. Israel's armed forces, thanks to US funding, surpass Iran's in terms of technology and capabilities, including advanced aircraft and modern ground systems. Iran, for its part, has a significant arsenal of long-range missiles and drones, but lacks technological superiority. Although Israel is better equipped and enjoys international support, Iran's capabilities could still pose problems in a potential conflict scenario.
Iran Strikes Israel with 300 Missiles: Military Capability Review
Last weekend, Iran took the unprecedented step of directly attacking Israel with two volleys of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and kamikaze drones. In total, Tehran fired about 300 munitions at Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces, with the support of the United States, Great Britain, France, Saudi Arabia and other countries, intercepted more than 99% of the released ammunition. The few ammunition that still broke through the air defense umbrella did not cause significant damage.
Israel cannot let this attack go unanswered, and the US is trying to prevent an escalation in the Middle East, while the war in Ukraine continues to demand the closest attention.
But how do the armies of Israel and Iran compare to each other? What capabilities and weapons systems do both sides have in the event of a direct conflict?
Israel vs. Iran
Israel spends more than twice as much on defense as Iran. In 2023, Israel will spend about $19,2 billion on its armed forces, with a significant portion of that amount coming from the United States as foreign military aid. In turn, Tehran spent almost 2023 billion dollars in 7,4.
If we talk about the size of the armed forces, there are about 170 military personnel in the Israel Defense Forces, which is much less than the 610 Iranian military. In the event of a full-scale conflict, of course, both armies will grow at the expense of reservists and volunteers.
In terms of air power, the Israel Air Force boasts approximately 340 aircraft, including the state-of-the-art F-35I Lightning II stealth fighters, as well as the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-15 Strike Eagle fighters. The Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force has approximately 290 aircraft, but most of them are aging F-4 Phantom, F-5 Tiger, and F-14 Tomcat fighter jets built on technology from the 1970s and 1980s.
As for ground systems, Israel has approximately 400 main battle tanks, including the Merkava-4. In addition, 800 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, as well as 170 artillery pieces, are in service. Iran has approximately 1600 main battle tanks, 1250 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, as well as 2000 artillery pieces. The equipment of the Israeli Air Force is much better and more modern than that of Iran.
Iran, however, possesses a significant arsenal of long-range munitions, numbering about 2 ballistic and cruise missiles. Tehran may also launch thousands of kamikaze drones.
Israel certainly has the better military. The IDF is more technologically advanced than its adversary and surpasses Iran in all indicators. In addition, Jerusalem can always count on help from outside, and especially from the United States, if the situation becomes difficult. Finally, Israeli politicians have the option of using nuclear weapons if the situation gets out of control. (Israel's nuclear arsenal can also be used to blackmail the US into supporting a conventional war with Iran.) Tehran has a significant military potential that can cause the Israelis some trouble. But in general, a land war between the two countries is impossible, and Iran's long-range artillery and other means are not enough to defeat Israel.
About the author
Stavros Atlamazoglu is an experienced defense and national security journalist specializing in special operations. A veteran of the Hellenic Army (serving with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army Headquarters), he earned a bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins University and a master's degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Graduate student of law at Boston College Law School. His work has been published in Business Insider, Sandboxx and SOFREP magazines.
