Israel’s assault on Iran focused the “heart” of the nation’s nuclear programme – together with its amenities, ballistic missile factories, and prime army chiefs.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have stated that Operation Rising Lion was “pre-emptive”. It was undertaken to cease Iran producing a nuclear weapon “in a very short time”, in line with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
Newest: Israel assaults Iran’s nuclear websites – and Iran responds
The assault got here regardless of warnings from US President Donald Trump – who stated intervention may “blow” US nuclear deal talks with Iran, which is believed to be quickly advancing its nuclear programme.
However what are Iran’s army capabilities – and to what extent do they pose a major risk?
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IDF destroys Iranian ballistic missiles
The IRGC
The IRGC – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – was set as much as present additional safety to the Islamic regime in 1979, and is the dominant department of the Iranian Armed Forces.
The Revolutionary Guard – which had a number of senior leaders killed in Israel’s strikes – oversees Iran’s ballistic missile programme.
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Senior Iranian commanders ‘killed’
The IRGC, which solutions to Iran’s supreme chief, has an estimated 125,000-strong army with military, navy and air models. Some analysts consider the determine is much increased.
It additionally instructions the Basij non secular militia, a volunteer paramilitary drive loyal to the institution and which is commonly used to crack down on anti-government protests.
Analysts say Basij volunteers might quantity within the hundreds of thousands.
The Quds Power is the IRGC’s international espionage and paramilitary arm that closely influences its allied militia throughout the Center East.
The IRGC, which is assessed as a terrorist group by the US, needs to form the Center East in favour of Tehran.
In 1982, it based Lebanon’s Hezbollah to export Iran’s Islamic Revolution and combat Israeli forces which invaded Lebanon that very same yr.
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The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has been in operation for greater than 4 a long time. File pic: AP
What are the IRGC’s army capabilities?
The IRGC has floor, air and naval capabilities – and oversees Iran’s ballistic missile programme, regarded by specialists as the biggest within the Center East.
It has used the missiles to hit militants in Syria and northern Iraq.
The US, European nations and Saudi Arabia blamed Iran for a 2019 missile and drone assault which crippled the world’s greatest oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia.
Iran denied any involvement within the assault.
The IRGC has its personal intelligence wing and has intensive standard fight {hardware}, which it showcased with its involvement within the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.
Consultants consider its inventory of cruise and ballistic missiles has the power and vary to hit any goal throughout the Center East area.
In line with the US Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Intelligence, Iran is armed with the biggest variety of ballistic missiles within the area.
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The IRGC’s naval forces perform a missile launch as a part of a army drill in 2023. File pic: Reuters
What do we all know concerning the Iranian missile vary?
These included the Sejil, which is able to flying at greater than 10,500mph and has a variety of 1,550 miles.
One other one, the Kheibar, has a variety of 1,240 miles – whereas the Haj Qasem can attain targets 870 miles away.
Iran says its ballistic missiles are an necessary deterrent and retaliatory drive towards the US, Israel and different potential regional targets. It denies in search of nuclear weapons.
Iran had beforehand stated it had constructed a sophisticated selfmade drone named Mohajer-10 with an operational vary of 1,240 miles.
It could fly for as much as 24 hours with a payload of as much as 300kg (660lbs), the Iranians claimed.
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IDF destroys Iranian ballistic missiles
Hypersonic missiles can fly not less than 5 occasions sooner than the pace of sound and may take a posh trajectory, making them troublesome to intercept.
The Arms Management Affiliation, a Washington-based non-governmental organisation, says Iran’s missile programme is basically primarily based on North Korean and Russian designs and has additionally obtained Chinese language help.
It says Iran’s short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles embrace Shahab-1, with an estimated vary of 190 miles.
Iran has cruise missiles reminiscent of Kh-55, an air-launched nuclear-capable weapon with a variety of as much as 1,860 miles.
A complicated anti-ship missile, the Khalid Farzh, with an approximate vary of 186 miles, is able to carrying a 1.1-tonne warhead.
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An IRGC floor forces army drill in East Azerbaijan province, Iran, in October 2022. Pic: Reuters
How does Iran use different army teams?
Iran has been backing teams which have been attacking Israel, US pursuits, and Pink Sea transport.
That is along with its personal rounds of retaliation with Israel, following post-October 7 2023 tensions within the area.
Constructed up over a long time of Iranian assist, the teams describe themselves because the “Axis of Resistance” to Israel and US affect within the Center East.
The axis contains the Palestinian group, Hamas – but additionally the Hezbollah motion in Lebanon, and the Houthi motion in Yemen, alongside varied armed teams in Iraq and Syria.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah was arrange by the IRGC in 1982 with the goal of preventing Israeli forces which had invaded Lebanon that yr.
The closely armed group, additionally an influential political participant, is broadly considered extra highly effective than the Lebanese state.
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The Houthi motion established management over giant elements of Yemen throughout a civil battle, which started in 2014 when it overthrew the federal government, which was backed by Saudi Arabia – Iran’s major rival for regional affect.
The Houthis have lengthy had pleasant ties to Iran.
The motion introduced on the finish of October 2023 that it had entered the Gaza battle by firing drones and missiles in direction of Israel – and later attacked transport within the southern Pink Sea.
The US believes the IRGC was serving to to plan and perform the Houthi missile and drone assaults, however Iran denies any involvement.
The Houthis deny being an Iranian proxy.
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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is proven an Iranian drone in Tehran in 2023. Pic: Reuters
What are Iran’s nuclear capabilities?
The UN nuclear watchdog’s board of governors has discovered that Iran has not been complying with its nuclear obligations for the primary time in 20 years – after it vowed to open a brand new uranium enrichment facility “in a secure location”.
The nation’s supreme chief made clear in June 2023 how Western nations can’t forestall Iran from constructing nuclear weapons.
On the time, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated a take care of the West was attainable, however provided that its nuclear infrastructure remained intact.
Iran has at all times denied having any intention to construct a nuclear weapon.
