(USNewsMag.com) – A Russian-made air defense system in Iran was recently destroyed by an Israeli attack, representing a potentially poor performance by the system provided to one of Russia’s central allies.
On Friday, April 19th, Israel attacked an air defense system in Iran and severely damaged a S-300 radar. The radar is a crucial component of the defense system used to track targets. According to a report citing satellite imagery and Iranian officials, the strike took place in Isfahan at the Eighth Shekari Air Base, just south of Tehran. Some reports suggest that a missile may have been fired from an Israeli warplane.
Around 4 am, Friday morning, the defense system shot at a “suspicious object.” Hossein Dalirian, an Iranian space agency spokesman, said three quadcopter drones were also intercepted.
Aside from the major military base, Isfahan also contains a nuclear facility. Not far from the strike, north of Isfahan in Natanz, one of the country’s most well-known uranium enrichment facilities can be found.
The S-300 systems were purchased from Russia as part of an $800 million deal and were delivered to Iran in 2016. Tehran has been ramping up its defense systems to deter Israel since 2007.
Iran returned the favor by supplying Russia with explosive drones and powerful ballistic missiles for the Kremlin’s war effort against Ukraine. Ever since Russia invaded the neighboring nation in February 2022, they have become more isolated from the rest of the international community. This isolation means Russia must fall back on its strongest allies, which include Iran.
The attack last week came in response to an attack by Iran on Israeli territory earlier in April. Iran launched hundreds of drones and missiles, inflicting minor damage to infrastructure. U.S. forces managed to intercept most of the incoming attacks. The Jewish state claims that over 300 drones and missiles were fired but that 99% were intercepted.
The recent retaliation by Israel was downplayed by Hossein Amirabdollahian, the foreign minister of Iran, who said his country is not worried about future attacks.
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