An expert is praising Israel’s defense systems, saying they played a key role in limiting the damage from Iran’s recent missile attacks.

Dr. Yehoshua Kalisky of the Institute for National Security Studies, noted the significant destructive power of Iran’s ballistic missiles due to their size, maneuverability, and speed. He estimated that Israel successfully intercepted about 95% of the missiles fired at it as of Saturday.

Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Digital that he believes around 20 of the 380 Iranian ballistic missiles launched at Israel made it through its defenses as of Tuesday. The Israeli military reported on Tuesday that another 20 missiles were launched, with five getting through, causing no deaths.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also reported on June 15 that Iran launched over 100 UAVs at Israel, which were all intercepted.

According to Taleblu, these attacks are a result of the conflict between Israel and Iran moving into the open.

Taleblu stated that Iran is increasingly targeting civilian areas in an attempt to undermine Israel’s determination to continue its operations against Iranian military sites. He said there have been at least eight waves of attacks on Israel, with evidence suggesting that these waves are decreasing in size.

Amid the Iranian attacks, Kalisky highlighted the various defensive measures that have protected Israeli citizens, including Magen Or, a new laser-based system designed to intercept Iranian UAVs.

The U.S. has also deployed its Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system with 100 personnel to operate it. Kalisky explained that THAAD can detect targets up to 2,500 – 3,000 km away and intercept short- and medium-range ballistic missiles at altitudes of up to 150 km.

Existing Israeli defense systems also continue to provide protection. Kalisky noted that Iron Dome intercepts missiles and short-range rockets, while David’s Sling intercepts cruise missiles and medium-range rockets and missiles. Arrow 2 intercepts long-range ballistic missiles within the atmosphere, and Arrow 3 intercepts them outside the atmosphere.

In addition, Israel’s naval defense system, the C-dome, is deployed on Sa’ar 6-class missile ships to protect important maritime assets.

Taleblu added that Israel has also targeted Iranian ballistic missile storage facilities and launch infrastructure. As of Monday, the IDF announced they had destroyed a third of Iran’s missile launchers.

Taleblu believes that the longer the conflict continues, the weaker Iran’s military will become, but he warned that the regime remains dangerous.

Taleblu emphasized the importance of quantity, noting that Iran’s ballistic missiles, due to their survivability and maneuverability, have been able to strike civilian population centers, resulting in deaths and significant disruption. He argued that Iran should not possess the region’s largest ballistic missile arsenal and should not be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.

As of Tuesday, reports indicate deaths and over 500 injuries caused by the Iranian ballistic missile attacks.

“`