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Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/17/iran-israel-attack-drones-missiles/
What Iran's Attack on Israel Revealed about Its Weapons Arsenal
(Washington Post) Susannah George - Iran's first direct attack on Israel on Saturday night demonstrated the country's military might and the advances of its domestic weapons program, analysts said, while also revealing the limitations of its arsenal. With more than 300 drones and missiles launched in a layered onslaught, it was Iran's largest-ever conventional show of force. "Iran basically threw everything it had that could reach Israel's territory," said John Krzyzaniak, who studies Iran's missile programs at the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control. Tehran "used some of every system they have." The firing of over 100 ballistic missiles in the space of a few minutes suggests Iran has at least 100 launchers, he added. "This shows that Iran has really faced no limitation in domestically producing missiles and launchers." Iran's most significant previous use of ballistic missiles was in 2020, after a U.S. drone attack killed Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani. Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles at two U.S. military bases in Iraq. There were no fatalities, but dozens of U.S. service members suffered traumatic brain injuries. Iran also used ballistic missiles in strikes this year on Pakistan, Syria and Iraq.