Prof. David Bensoussan
Le Soleil, Apr. 14, 2024 (trans. from the French)
“Iran has an army of 580,000 people, with 200,000 reservists, including the Iranian Revolutionary Guards who form an autonomous corps.”
This time, Iran is launching a direct attack on Israel: 150 drones, 70 cruise missiles and 100 ballistic missiles. The Israeli defense involved the David’s Sling system, the Iron Dome as well as the Arrow (Hetz in Hebrew) anti-missile shield.
The Iranian aircraft were also intercepted by the Israeli air force and the result was miraculous. Israel has also benefited from U.S. logistical support, including armed intervention from U.S. bases in southern Syria.
The targets of the attacks are yet to be determined, as the overwhelming majority of Iranian aircraft were shot down in the air. As for Hezbollah’s possible intervention, that remains an open question. Even if Israel’s air defense proves effective, the ability to cope with the large amount of missiles and rockets available to Hezbollah — between 120,000 and 200,000 — remains a major concern.
What is more, the religious fanaticism of the Shiite mullahs is most hardened. It will be remembered that during the Iraqi-Iranian war, thousands of children were sent to minefields to make room for the troops. The fate of Palestinians or Yemenis – a Yemeni child dies of starvation every ten minutes – matters little to the Iranian mullahs.
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Prof. David Bensoussan is a member of the CIJR Academic board.
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