How do military powers of Iran and Israel compare? – World

According to experts, Iran will most likely seek to shift all of its nuclear-related equipment underground following Israel’s attack.

Israel launched deadly strikes on Iran’s military and nuclear facilities on Friday morning, escalating tensions between the long-time adversaries. This unprecedented wave of strikes against Iran has set off alarms in the region. Both sides have a tumultuous track record of attacks in the past.

In April 2024, a suspected Israeli airstrike on the main Iranian embassy compound in Damascus killed seven officers of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

Tensions between the two regional arch-rivals came to a head in Oct 2024 when Iran launched what it described as a barrage of missiles at targets within Israel. Israel retaliated by bombing military targets in Iran, killing four servicemen.

Israeli strikes in Oct and April of last year struck key S-300 air defence networks in Iran and equipment used to make solid fuel for ballistic missiles, NBC News reported.

The report quoted military experts and former US and Israeli officials saying that Israel could inflict “serious damage” to the Iranian nuclear programme but it lacked the heavy bombs and aircraft required to strike effectively at Iran’s buried nuclear sites. According to experts, Iran will most likely seek to shift all of its nuclear-related equipment underground following this attack, the report added.

Here is a detailed comparison of the military powers of the two rivals.

Air defence system

Based on The Military Balance 2023, Israel’s Iron Dome system was considered to be the backbone of its air defence, consisting of a radar which can identify incoming projectiles along with their speed and direction, according to a report by Al Jazeera published in Oct 2024.

The report stated that projectiles posing no threat are allowed to land in empty fields, while the missile-firing unit launches missiles to shoot down those that are dangerous.

Iran deployed the short-range, low-altitude Azarakhsh in Feb last year, which was an infrared detection system, equipped with radar and electro-optic systems to detect and intercept targets, the report added.

Number of soldiers

Iran has 610,000 active personnel in total with 350,000 in the army, 190,000 in the IRGC, 18,000 in the navy, 37,000 in the air force and 15,000 in air defence, as well as a reserve army of 350,000, according to Al Jazeera.

The report also said that the Israeli military has 169,500 active personnel, including 126,000 in the army, 9,500 in the navy, 34,000 in the air force and a reserve army of 465,000.

Defence spending

According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) published in April, Iran’s military spending fell by 10 per cent to $7.9 billion in 2024, attributed to the impact of sanctions on Iran.

SIPRI also revealed that Israel’s military expenditure grew by 65pc to $46.5bn in 2024 — a surge from 2023, due to its onslaught on Gaza which has killed over 55,000 Palestinians.

Air Force

Israel has 345 combat-capable aircraft and 43 attack helicopters, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet also revealed that the Iranian air force has 312 combat-capable aircraft, and the IRGC has 23, adding that the air force also has two attack helicopters, the army has 50, and the IRGC has five.

Despite pronouncements made by Iran on the restoration of air force following attacks in Oct, Israel struck Iran with “near impunity”, Forbes reported, saying that the “sheer neglect” of Iran’s conventional military, apparent in its air force, made today’s attack possible.

Iranian airframe, including MiG-29, is at least 35 years old, with no recent substantial upgrades, the report said. Iran’s F-14A Tomcats were around half a century old, while the third-generation IRIAF F-4 Phantom IIs and F-5 Tigers were among the last in service globally, Forbes added.

Ground forces

Iran owned at least 10,513 battle tanks, 6,798 artillery guns and more than 640 armoured personnel carriers, Al Jazeera said, adding that the army has 50 helicopters, while the IRGC has five helicopters.

Israel has around 400 battle tanks, 530 artillery guns and over 1,190 personnel carriers, the outlet added.

Navy

While Israel has five submarines, and 49 patrol and coastal combatants, the Iranian navy has 17 tactical submarines, 68 patrol and coastal combatants, seven corvettes, 12 landing ships, 11 landing craft, and 18 logistics and support vehicles, Al Jazeera reported.

Ballistic missiles

Iran has at least 12 different types of medium- and short-range ballistic missiles, ranging from the Tondar 69, with a range of 150 km (93 miles), to the Khorramshahr and Sejjil, with ranges of up to 2,000 km (1,243 miles), according to Al Jazeera.

Israel has at least four different types of small, medium and intermediate-range ballistic missiles, which range from the LORA with a range of 280km (174 miles) to the Jericho-3 with a range between 4,800km (2,983 miles) and 6,500km (4,039 miles), it added.

Nuclear capabilities

Israel possesses around 90 nuclear warheads, Al Jazeera reported, citing the US-based Arms Control Association.

Meanwhile, Iran does not have nuclear weapons but carries out nuclear activities — which Tehran maintains are for peaceful purposes — resulting in disputes with Israel and Western countries, including the United States.

Iran and the US have held five rounds of negotiations since April, the highest level of contact since President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from a 2015 nuclear accord during his first term.

Last week, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected a central US demand in talks to resolve a decades-long dispute over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, saying that abandoning uranium enrichment was “100 per cent” against the country’s interests.

Header Image: The S-200 missile system is displayed during the Iranian defence week, in a street in Tehran, September 24, 2024. — Reuters/File