Power Play in the Middle East: Comparing Israeli and Iranian War Capabilities

Jun 18, 2025 - 14:24 Updated: Jun 18, 2025 - 14:27

Power Play in the Middle East: Comparing Israeli and Iranian War Capabilities

Analysis

By Sharath Kumar Kolipaka

With the recent escalation after the Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear and military sites in Operation Rising Lion, these strikes killed several IRGC military leadership and nuclear scientists. Both countries have been engaged in both attacking and defending since the attack on June 12. This article presents an analysis of Iran's recent military actions, specifically the launch of hundreds of ballistic missiles and drone swarms targeting civilian areas in Tel Aviv. We will examine the military capabilities of the involved nations concerning their ability to attack and defend. Iran boasts one of the most diverse and extensive arsenals of missiles in the Middle East. While comparisons of military personnel numbers, tanks, and armored vehicles are pertinent in the context of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, the most critical factors in contemporary warfare are missiles, aircraft, detection systems, and defense capabilities. These elements hold significant importance in the current military dynamics, particularly in the situation between Iran and Israel, which do not share a direct land border and are geographically separated by several nations across nearly 1,000 kilometers.

Weapon Category	Iran	Israel	Key Differences
Dedicated Attack Aircraft	HESA KOWAR (4th generation), Su-24, Su-22 (aging Soviet models); modest air-to-ground capability; some domestic upgrades.	No dedicated attack aircraft; uses F-16I Sufa, F-35I Adir for precision strikes.	Iran relies on outdated aircraft; Israel uses modern multirole fighters for strike missions.
Fighter Aircraft	F-4 Phantom II, F-14 Tomcat, MiG-29 (many obsolete, some locally reverse-engineered).	F-15I Ra'am, F-16I, F-35I — advanced, network-enabled, stealth-capable.	Israel’s air superiority is unmatched regionally due to advanced platforms and pilot training.
Special Mission Aircraft	Limited: some Il-76 AEW&C, transport-based SIGINT platforms.	Extensive: G550 CAEW, ELINT, aerial refuelers, real-time C4ISR.	Israel has vastly superior special mission aircraft coverage and real-time command-and-control capabilities.
Short-Range Ballistic Missiles	Fateh-110,313; Qiam-1, Shahab-1,2; Zolfaghar, Tondar-69; — road-mobile, up to 700 km; used widely in Iraq, Syria, Yemen.	No active SRBMs; Israel uses long-range systems and air-launched precision weapons instead. Jericho I is obsolete	Iran uses SRBMs extensively; Israel emphasizes airstrikes over short-range missiles.
Medium-Range Ballistic Missiles	Shahab-3, Sejjil-1/2 — ranges up to 2,000 km; used as a strategic deterrent.	Jericho II (range ~1,500–1,800 km); strategic platform, likely nuclear capable.	Iran’s MRBMs are more openly used; Israel’s are cloaked in ambiguity and part of its deterrence posture.
ICBMs / Long-Range Missiles	Kheibar, Sejjil-2 — claimed range >2,000 km; ICBM-class capability disputed, but development ongoing.	Jericho III — estimated 4,800–6,500 km range; widely believed to be nuclear capable.	Israel likely has operational ICBMs; Iran does not, though it is actively developing the technology.
Cruise Missiles	Soumar Turbo fan (Hoveyzeh, Abu Mahdi), Turbo jet— based on Russian Kh-55; land attack and anti-ship roles.	Delilah (LACM), Popeye Turbo (ALCM), naval cruise missiles — highly accurate, often air- or sub-launched.	Iran focuses on quantity and regional reach; Israel prioritizes precision, survivability, and dual-capable deterrents.
Loitering Munitions	Shahed-136, Meraj, Karrar, Gaza (Shahed-149) drone — low-cost, swarmable, used in proxy warfare and saturation attacks.	Harop, Harpy, SkyStriker- highly autonomous, used for SEAD(Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) and strategic high-value targets.	Iran uses loitering munitions for quantity-driven asymmetry; Israel focuses on high-end, precision-use cases.
Missile Defence / Interceptors	Bavar-373, Khordad-15, Talash, S-300, S-200, Sayyad missiles; focus on redundancy.	Iron Dome (short range 70km), David’s Sling (medium 300km), Arrow-2/3 (ballistic threats 2400km); proven in combat. The US provided THAAD (200km) and Patriot systems. Barak (lightning shield)	Israel has a fully integrated and layered defense system; Iran lacks comparable architecture or combat-tested interceptors.
UAVs (Recon & Strike)	Dozens of models: Mohajer-6, Shahed-129, Ababil-3; wide regional use; focus on ISR and asymmetric strikes.	Hermes 450/900, Heron TP, Orbiter, Zik — advanced ISR and strike drones with AI targeting and satellite comms.	Iran leads in low-cost regional proliferation; Israel leads in quality, autonomy, and strategic utility.
C4ISR & Early Warning Systems	Static radars, hardened bunkers, redundant infrastructure; low integration, relies on denial and deception strategies.	Real-time, multi-layered C4I with satellite, airborne, and land-based assets; fused into precision strike and defense networks.	Israel holds a technological and operational edge in information warfare and early threat detection.

Both countries have diverse weapons to attack and defend themselves. Iran has a larger number of missiles and drones, but they lack precision and the ability to strike their target by surpassing the adversary’s defence capabilities. But no defence system is 100% secure; systems like Iron Dome and THAAD can be overwhelmed with numbers to pass through. While Iran possesses a significant number of military assets, it relies on outdated platforms and systems concerning its fighter jets and detection capabilities. Furthermore, Iran's missile defense systems are comparatively less effective than those of Israel. Iran is relying on missile proliferation, asymmetrical tactics, and regional proxy networks; in contrast, Israel is relying on precision quality and integrated combat-tested platforms. Iran won't have a definitive edge over Israel if we look at it purely from the perspective of the advanced systems they use. But using numbers (large numbers of missiles, Drones, and loitering munitions at a lower cost) to surpass the defence system, Iran can surely do great damage to Israel. Understanding the strategies these countries might devise based on their available weapon systems is important to understand the course of this conflict.

Disclaimer: This paper is the author's individual scholastic contribution and does not necessarily reflect the organization's viewpoint.