Additional Coverage:
Israeli airstrikes have reportedly crippled Iran’s advanced air defenses, including the Russian-built S-300 system. The strikes leave Iran vulnerable to further attacks.
Russia has been slow to supply Iran with more advanced systems due to its focus on the Ukraine invasion. Iran has relied on indigenous air defenses and antiquated systems.
Despite acquiring some advanced air defenses, Iran has prioritized building offensive ballistic missiles to deter adversaries. This strategy has faced its greatest challenge in recent Israeli strikes.
Post-revolutionary Iran has developed ballistic missiles to support its ideological objectives and defeat Israel, rather than for defense. Iran’s air force remains underdeveloped, relying on US-made aircraft purchased before the 1979 revolution.
Iran’s opportunistic approach to defense involves modifying and upgrading foreign systems. Despite this, its progress in air defense has been slower due to limited resources.
Faced with arms embargoes, Iran has turned to asymmetric capabilities, such as ballistic missiles, to deter and project influence. However, the limits of this strategy are becoming apparent, and a nuclear weapon could be the next logical step for Iran if its current strategy fails.