How Israel's Long-Awaited Counterstrike Weakened Iran

Israel’s long-awaited counterstrike on Iran destroyed large swaths of the Islamic Republic's air defenses, including Russian-made missile systems, leaving Tehran more vulnerable than ever to future strikes by the Jewish state or other adversaries. "We should understand that Tehran is naked right now, the ayatollah has no clothes," said Richard Goldberg, a former White House National Security Council member who worked the Iran portfolio. "Israel destroyed Iran’s strategic air defense capabilities and set back its missile and drone production extensively."

Though Iran knew the attack was coming—and was even able to prepare following the explosive leak of classified American intelligence on Israel’s military movements—it still failed to stop more than 100 Israeli Air Force planes as they hit deep inside the Islamic Republic. This was made possible in part by Israel’s initial strike on radar systems stationed in Syria, essentially leaving Tehran blind as Israeli planes flew more than 1,000 miles into Iranian airspace.