Iran’s missile attack on Thursday, the seventh day of the war, illustrates that its missiles continue to pose a deadly threat. Iran began the war with hundreds, perhaps more than 1,000 ballistic missiles of varying types and ranges.
Iran has lost more than half its missile launchers. However, Tehran’s regime is still able to wield the missiles with deadly effect.
The attack on Soroka is a red line for Israel. It showed that despite Israel’s hi-tech air defenses, Israel will not be protected against every missile. Between ten and twenty percent of the missiles penetrated the defenses throughout this war. Hundreds of missiles have been fired. More than two dozen have impacted.
Protecting lives in Israel
Israel’s citizens are resilient, and they follow the Home Front Command directives. This has saved lives. Israel’s first responders and the Search and Rescue Brigade of the Home Front Command have performed extraordinary work to get to the sites of impact and help to secure the area and find victims.
“Soroka Hospital, located in Be’er Sheva, is one of Israel’s finest—serving the entire Negev region, caring for Israelis of all faiths and our nieghbors, the Palestinians, who come especially to be treated there. Its devoted staff—Jews and Arabs—work side by side in extraordinary harmony, united by the mission to heal,” Israel’s President Isaac Herzog said on June 19. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s office also noted that Iran “has no red lines” with its attack on the hospital. Iran is committing war crimes.
Some may downplay the attack on the hospital and argue that Iran aimed for a site nearby. However, Iran’s own media says that its missiles have very high accuracy. Iran’s Mehr News says that the Ghadr type of missile is “combined with an advanced guidance system, this design reduces its CEP from 2,500 meters to between 100 and 300 meters.” It claims that the Emad missile is an upgraded version of the Ghadr, introduced in 2015. “Powered by liquid fuel, the Emad missile measures 15.5 meters in length, weighs 1,750 kg, has a range of 1,700 km, and boasts a circular error probable (CEP) of 50 meters,” the report says.
Iran is the one that argues its missiles are accurate up to 50 or 100 meters. A hospital complex like Soroka is often at least 500-1,000 meters across. This means that Iran knows exactly what it is doing when it targets these sites. Iran is not just hoping the missiles hit something. Iran knows it is targeting areas with hospitals and civilians, even if it claims to be targeting “military” sites.
This is why it is important for Israel not to become overconfident. Israel has done extensive damage to Iran and its missiles. In recent days, it appeared that the volume of missile fire had been reduced. Some concluded that Israel had forced Iran to fire missiles from further away and that Iran has fewer missiles and launchers. Iran may have fewer, but it is still deadly. Iran also feels isolated and cornered. Its regime has vowed not to surrender. This means it will continue to lash out.