Israel was planning a broader attack on Iran, The New York Times reported this morning. The plan included attacks on military targets throughout Iran, including Tehran, according to three senior Israeli officials who spoke to the newspaper on condition of anonymity.
According to the publication, plans were adjusted due to diplomatic pressure from the United States and allies, as well as due to the fact that most of the missiles and UAVs launched by Tehran were intercepted.
Israeli sources said US President Joe Biden, along with the British and German foreign ministers, urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to opt for a more limited retaliatory attack option, as a large-scale strike on Iranian targets would increase the likelihood of a counter-attack.
According to Israeli officials, "the attack was carefully planned and demonstrated the extensive military arsenal that Israel has at its disposal."
Instead of sending fighter jets into Iranian territory, Israel launched a small number of missiles from aircraft several hundred kilometers west of Iran. At the same time, a group of small drones was launched to confuse Iranian air defenses.
One of the missiles hit an S-300 air defense battery protecting the Natanz nuclear facility, and the second missile "was deliberately detonated in mid-air after it became clear that the first missile had reached its destination - so as not to cause too much damage." Although there is an opinion that this could simply be a malfunction of the rocket.
On Saturday, Kan military correspondent Itay Blumenthal reported that Israel struck the radar of an air defense battery guarding the Iranian nuclear plant in Natanz with a Rampage supersonic missile of its own production. This is a special air-to-surface missile developed by IMI, with a range of 145 km and a 150 kg warhead. It has the highest guidance accuracy and is almost elusive due to the supersonic speed it develops.
And Fox News journalists added that Iran’s air defense system was ineffective against the technologies possessed by Israel. Iran is protected by Russian-made air defense - the S-300 Favorit anti-aircraft missile system.
Satellite images showed that the Israeli attack hit an important, specific part of the system that is used to track approaching targets - that is, it “blinded” the entire air defense complex.
Tehran played down the scale of the attack. Official statements denied missile penetration into Iranian territory. Official sources said that it was several small UAVs that were successfully shot down by the air defense system.
bbabo.Net