FWD: Expert: Iran can seriously harm Israel
Cornelius Hamelberg
https://www.dn.se/varlden/expert-iran-kan-skada-israel-rejalt/
Expert: Iran can seriously harm Israel
Updated 18:08 Published 16:10
Israeli air defense is described as one of the world's most advanced. Despite this, Iran can do significant damage to the country, says Lieutenant Colonel Anders Ekholm. Photo: Israeli military/TT
If Iran combines drone attacks with its large arsenal of ballistic missiles, some will be able to get through Israel's advanced air defenses, says Lieutenant Colonel Anders Ekholm.
– Then it could cause great damage.
Text
Save
Share
Israel launched a massive airstrike on Friday night – involving an estimated 200 fighter jets – against multiple targets in and around the Iranian capital Tehran. Iran responded in what it called a “declaration of war” by sending hundreds of drones toward Israel.
Israel says its air defenses, together with Jordan's, have repelled all the drones, but Anders Ekholm at the Swedish National Defense University says Iran has the military muscle to seriously harm Israel. Above all, Iran has a large arsenal of ballistic missiles - "probably thousands."
– If you combine a massive fire of this type of rockets together with drones, you will be taxed on the margin of error – the few percent that Israel's air defense system lets through, he says.
The Israeli military (IDF) usually states that its air defense system called "Iron Dome" - which is described as one of the world's most advanced - manages to shoot down around 90 percent of attacks against the country's inhabited territory.
– Although these systems have a high probability of hitting, they conversely allow a number of percent not to be shot down. Israel is extremely small, it is like Östergötland times two and has as many inhabitants as in all of Sweden, says Anders Ekholm.
– There are a lot of vulnerabilities to be addressed.
Iran has already demonstrated to Israel that it possesses ballistic missiles that could potentially carry nuclear weapons, although Iran has not yet been confirmed to have operational nuclear warheads. This makes the situation worrisome, especially if Iran were to succeed in completing a nuclear warhead, according to Anders Ekholm.
An Israeli general tells Anders Ekholm that Iran's strategic thinking skills should not be underestimated. At the same time, the general describes them as "very clumsy operationally", with a top-down structure where initiative and ingenuity are not rewarded. Photo: Anders Warne
Anders Ekholm assesses that Israel sees this as "the chance of a lifetime" to rearrange the balance of power in the region with a weakened Hamas and Hezbollah and a new regime in Syria. Simply put, the threat from other actors in the region is significantly less than before.
At the same time, Israel's intelligence service Mossad is reported to have obtained a "smoking gun" - concrete evidence that Iran has significantly increased the pace of its efforts to complete a functioning nuclear weapon, he says.
– Just when you called, I received a message from a general in Israel who wrote: “Sorry it took us 20 years to get to the point.”
– Now we couldn't wait any longer.
One of Iran's military strengths is its large number of soldiers and tanks. Photo: TT
He believes that Israel's hope now is to help the Iranian people overthrow the regime.
– They see it as the opportunity of the millennium.
Israel's air force is more advanced than Iran's, and the Israeli military generally acts more tactically and cunningly. Iran, on the other hand, has an advantage in its large number of soldiers and tanks. The balance of power is reminiscent of that between Ukraine and Russia, says Anders Ekholm.
– Somewhere, quantity also becomes quality if it never runs out and you can pour in more and more and more.
Topics in the articleFollow
Follow
Follow
Follow
Follow
Follow
This is how DN works with quality journalism: information published must be true and relevant. Rumors are not enough. We strive for first-hand sources and to be on the spot where it happens. Credibility and impartiality are central values for our news journalism. Read more here.
Text
Share
Correct
Related articlesIran attacks Israel – several reportedly injured
Here are the top military personnel killed in the attacks
Michael Winiarski: Israel's war goals are more than Iran's nuclear facilities
Cornelius Hamelberg
--
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfric...@googlegroups.com
To subscribe to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDial...@googlegroups.com
Current archives at http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Early archives at http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this topic, visit https://groups.google.com/d/topic/usaafricadialogue/KUZoe4_fPXs/unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to usaafricadialo...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/usaafricadialogue/474c6467-efd1-45b0-bf3e-eade664c3d29n%40googlegroups.com.