Iran's arsenal outmatches Israel's - Defence expert

SHAH ALAM - Defence and geostrategist analyst Muhammad Fuad Mat Noor has claimed that Iran possesses a conventional military strength surpassing Israel in terms of missile numbers, advanced drones, and military personnel.

"In warfare, military strength is typically gauged by the army's might, but without confrontation, comparisons become challenging.

"In the Iran-Israel confrontation, we evaluate it based on air strike capabilities.

"According to 2020 data, Iran reportedly boasts around 3,000 ballistic missiles, along with a significant drone fleet and hypersonic missiles.

"In the recent attack on Saturday, Iran deployed approximately 300 missiles and drones, with many remaining unused, including hypersonic missiles," he said.

Fuad highlighted the formidable nature of hypersonic missiles, known for their exceptional speed and interception resistance.

"Hypersonic missiles represent cutting-edge weaponry in Iran's arsenal.

"Few nations, including Russia and the United States (US), possess this technology.

"While drones may take hours to travel from Iran to Israel, allowing the Israeli defence system time to prepare, hypersonic missiles can reach Israel within minutes," he stressed.

Fuad highlighted the effectiveness of Iran-made drones, previously utilised by Russia during the Ukraine conflict.

"The deployment of Iranian-manufactured kamikaze drones posed significant challenges for the Ukrainian forces.

"On Israel, while they possess formidable airpower, reliance on US assistance leaves them vulnerable, with their ability to sustain combat operations lasting only six to seven days if US air support is withdrawn," he said.