Illustrative image. (Israeli Air Force)
Israel used a secretive air-launched two-stage ballistic missile in the opening strikes of its joint attack with the U.S. against Iran on February 28 morning, according to photos from Iraq.
What appears to be the first stage of the missiles used in the attack are seen in the photos, which were taken at the district of al-Alam in the central Iraqi province of Saladin.
The same type of missile was used in Israeli attacks that targeted Iran in April and October of 2024, as well as in the opening strikes of the 12-day war in June of last year, with similar remains found in Iraq in all of these cases.
The missile is thought to be a derivative of Israel’s Sparrow family of air-launched target missiles, which were initially developed to mimic ballistic missiles and were used to test anti-missile systems.
The missile in question may in fact be the “Golden Horizon” air-launched ballistic missile named in a U.S. intelligence report that was leaked ahead of the Israeli attack on Iran that took place on October 26 of 2024. The missile is thought to have a maximum range of around 2,000 kilometers, and just like Sparrow targets, it is believed to be launched from F-15 fighter jets.
Besides having a longer range, air-launched ballistic missiles are extremely difficult to detect and intercept. This apparently made them the weapon of choice for Israel when it comes to attacking Iran.
Click to see full-size image. (X)
Click to see full-size image. (X)
While Israel opted to use its most advanced missile in the opening strikes against Iran, the U.S. followed a more traditional approach, leading with BGM-109 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles.
Dozens of Tomahawk missiles were spotted flying over different parts of Iraq while heading towards Iran, and one of the videos posted online even shows a missile over the capital of the Islamic Republic, Tehran. The missiles were likely launched from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, where USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group is deployed, and from the Arabian Sea, where the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is deployed.
The Tomahawk was developed all the way back in the 1970s. The latest versions of the subsonic cruise missile are guided via a GPS-aided Inertial navigation system, in addition to a terrain contour matching system that allows it to fly at an altitude as low as 30 meters. The range of the missile is reported to be around 1,700 kilometers.
Not all the missiles launched at Iran were successful, however. At least one failed and crashed near the capital of the northern Iraqi province of Kirkuk. Photos showing its warhead were posted to social networks. It is highly likely that other missiles also failed, or even got shot down.
Click to see full-size image. (Telegram)
Click to see full-size image. (Telegram)
The American-Israeli attack on Iran has triggered a fierce response from Iran. The Islamic Republic is targeting not only Israel, but also U.S. bases across the Middle East, from Jordan, all the way to Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
As Iran increases pressure, the U.S. and Israel will likely be forced to use more of their long-range weapons systems, which are likely limited in numbers.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
secretive missiles, not so secretive plans……israel and ussa, garbage countries garbage leaders
the ayatollah is a moron. if i were the ayatollah, i would pay the russian mafia to liquidate all the alawites who fled to russia. these people are to blame for this evil that is happening to iran now. they have escaped and therefore deserve only death and destruction.
the traitorous alawites are to blame for everything. if i were the ayatollah, i would pay the russian mafia to liquidate all the alawites who fled to russia.
without the alawite betrayal of syria and their cowardly flight to russia, israel would never have dared to attack iran. i hope isis comes back and kills all the alawites left in syria because these traitors are to blame for lebanon and iraq no longer being connected. hezbollah is cut off from iraq and that is why i wish death to all alawites, both those in russia and those in syria.the alawite religion must be banned and isis must destroy their shrines. the alawites are to blame for this
the alawites are to blame for the destruction of iran and i want the day to come when russia is attacked from all sides and the alawites in russia are forcibly mobilized into the russian army and die en masse. because these people don’t deserve to exist. they betrayed hezbollah and they betrayed iraq and also iran. all alawites deserve only death and destruction. hezbollah is not connected with the shiite militias in iraq, and that is why i wish death to all alawites