Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that Tehran used the Fattah-1 missiles to against targets in Israel on Wednesday.
"The 11th wave of the proud Operation Honest Promise 3 using Fattah-1 missiles" was conducted against Israel, the IRGC's statement shared on state television stated.
Notably, Iran's decision to put Fattah-1 missiles into service came after Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's strong stance regarding the conflict and Israel government.
Multiple reports indicate that Iran's missiles have breached Israel’s air defense systems during recent exchanges, with some strikes targeting central areas including Tel Aviv.
The barrage after barrage of Iranian missile strikes appear to have overwhelmed Israel's air defence network, which has suffered notable failures in intercepting and destroying Iranian aerial threats, further heightening the risk for Israel in case Iran decides to launch salvos of hypersonic missiles, Rahul Yelwe, a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Security Studies, School of National Security Studies, Central University of Gujarat, told Sputnik India.
Israel’s air defense consists of several systems including the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow, and the US Navy’s Aegis, Yelwe said. These systems have intercepted a significant number of missiles and drones in recent retaliatory exchanges, he said. Moreover, no air defense system can offer 100% protection against aerial threats, he added.
However, missiles with high speed and maneuverability—such as supersonic and hypersonic weapons—can penetrate even the most sophisticated air defense systems. In particular, weapons like the BrahMos and Iran's Fattah are specifically designed to strike high-value, strategically important ground targets, Yelwe stressed.
In the recent confrontation, Iran may have opted to use the Fattah hypersonic missile precisely to overcome Israel's multilayered air defense, as the majority of its conventional ballistic missiles were intercepted by both Israeli and US defense systems deployed in the region, the strategic affairs pundit highlighted.
"Now, whether the Fattah can deliver success as the BrahMos has given to India against Pakistan is debatable. India and Pakistan are geographically close, whereas Iran and Israel have distances of more than 1500-2000 Km. Besides, Pakistan was poorly equipped with an older-generation air defense system," Yelwe noted.
In Israel’s case, its air defense system is considered highly developed and has also been supported by additional US systems such as THAAD, SM-3, and Patriot, which are currently deployed in the region, Yelwe noted. He suggested that after absorbing the first strike of the Fattah hypersonic missile, Israel will restructure its air defense tactics to counter future hypersonic strikes, he suggested.