 "Israel's famed Iron Dome system could fail, warn US officials. Here's why")
Serious concerns exist among United States (US) officials that Hezbollah could overwhelm Israel's air defence systems in the north of the country, including its much-vaunted Iron Dome air defence system, in the event of a full-blown war between the Iran-backed militant group and Israel, three US officials told CNN on Thursday.
According to the US officials cited in the report, these fears -- that the Iron Dome system could be vulnerable to Hezbollah's vast arsenal of drones and missiles -- have also been communicated to them by Israel itself. And, these fears are only rising amid increasing indications from Israel to US officials that it is readying for a land and air incursion into Lebanon.
US officials also told CNN that Israeli officials have informed the US that they are planning to shift forces from southern Gaza to northern Israel in preparation for a possible offensive against Hezbollah.
What's behind the doubts about the Iron Dome system?
In the event of an all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel, the US assesses “that at least some" Iron Dome batteries "will be overwhelmed", a senior US administration official told CNN.
According to the report, an unnamed Israeli official explained that such a scenario would be more likely if Hezbollah conducted a large-scale attack using precision guided weapons. The official added that such an assault could be challenging for the Iron Dome system to defend against.
This threat has emerged because Hezbollah has reportedly been stockpiling missiles and precision guided munitions from Iran for years, with Israel having repeatedly raised concerns about the same.
Also Read
According to the CNN report, Hezbollah also possesses an arsenal of rockets, missiles and drones that is exponentially larger and more sophisticated than Hamas’ stockpile. While most are short-range rockets, some of Hezbollah's weapons can reach deep inside Israel and possess precision capability.
In fact, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly estimates that Hezbollah is armed with approximately 150,000 missiles and rockets, including thousands of precision munitions.
Hezbollah is also described as the "world's most heavily armed non-state actor", by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Another development that could add to Israel's concerns emerged earlier this month, when Hezbollah released a video purportedly showing a drone striking and damaging an Iron Dome battery located in an army base in northern Israel. According to Israeli media, this incident appeared to be the first documented instance of the Iron Dome system being successfully hit.
While the IDF said that it was unaware of any damage to the system shown in the video, two US officials told CNN that Israeli officials have told the US that they believe the air defence system could be vulnerable, particularly in northern Israel.
The US officials added that Israeli forces have also been surprised by the sophistication of Hezbollah's recent attacks.
Another unnamed US official told CNN that in the event of an all-out war with Hezbollah, the support Israel would need the most would be additional air defence systems and replenishments for Iron Dome. The official added that the US would provide such support to Israel.
Meanwhile, the report said that the IDF declined to comment on the matter.
What is Israel's Iron Dome air defence system?
The Iron Dome forms the bottom rung of Israel's three-tier missile defence architecture. The system is designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells fired from distances of four to 70 kilometres. According to US' Congressional Research Service, the US government has spent over $2.9 billion on the Iron Dome programme.
The next rung is the David's Sling, a system jointly developed by Israeli and US firms to protect against short- and medium-range threats. The final rung is made up of Israel's Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 systems, which have also been jointly developed with the US and specifically designed to intercept ballistic missiles.
Each Iron Dome battery, at least 10 of which Israel possesses at present, is equipped with a radar to detect incoming rockets and a command-and-control system that calculates whether the incoming projectile poses a threat or is likely to strike an unpopulated area. The Iron Dome fires interceptor missiles from the ground to destroy those projectiles found to pose a threat.
Citing the IDF, the CNN report said that the Iron Dome system achieved a 95.6 per cent success rate during a rocket salvo fired by a Palestinian militant group last year.
Why are Israel and Hezbollah close to full-blown war?
On Wednesday, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah threatened a war with Israel with "no restraint and no rules and no ceilings" in case of a major Israeli offensive against Lebanon.
Nasrallah's threat comes amid rising tensions at the Israel-Lebanon border and after Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday raised the possibility of a major conflict with Hezbollah after the Lebanese group released surveillance drone footage showing major military and infrastructure sites in northern Israel.
In a social media post, Katz wrote, "We (Israel) are very close to the moment of decision to change the rules against Hezbollah and Lebanon." He added, "In an all-out war, Hezbollah will be destroyed and Lebanon will be severely hit."
Since the Israel-Hamas war started after the Palestinian militant group attacked communities in southern Israel on October 7, near-daily skirmishes have occurred on the Israel-Lebanon border.
Last week, Hezbollah claimed that it had conducted over 2,100 military operations against Israel since October 8 in what the Lebanese group calls a show of support for Hamas and Palestinians in the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.