(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — Farmers in Iraq today discovered fragments of the booster components of two Israeli missiles in the Latifiya and Al-Aziziya regions of Iraq, over 100 kilometers from the Iranian border.
Military observers speculate these fragments likely belong to the “Blue Sparrow” Air-Launched Ballistic Missile (ALBM), developed by the Israeli defense company, Rafael.
What’s surprising is the Israeli Air Force reportedly uses the “Blue Sparrow” missiles solely as target projectiles, equipped without any warheads.
These missiles are only utilized as targets in Israeli Air Force training exercises.
US media, speaking with senior defense officials, also reported that yesterday’s Israeli operation involved launching three unspecified missiles against Iran.
According to US media reports, Israeli F-15 fighter jets, while still within Syrian airspace, launched missiles at Iran, aiming to evade detection by the high-alert Iranian air defense systems, which were primed after Tel Aviv was targeted by approximately 300 ballistic missiles and suicide drones recently.
The critical question for military analysts is why the Israeli Air Force would use warhead-less target missiles in its strikes on targets in Iran.
What could be the purpose behind using such “empty” missiles in attacks on Iran?
Military observers believe the primary intent of using the “Blue Sparrow” target missiles by Israel is more about signaling to Tehran its capability to strike targets within Iran.
The recent Israeli strikes seem more about sending a message to Tehran’s leaders rather than causing massive destruction that could compel Iran to launch a severe retaliatory attack against Tel Aviv, more intense than the recent similar attacks.
Both Israel and Iran are exceedingly cautious in their actions, not wanting to escalate to open warfare, which could lead to massive devastation for both nations.
Tehran has stated it does not plan to retaliate against Israel after last night Israeli attack.
If indeed Israel used “empty” missiles in its attacks on Iran, this might explain why there were no significant explosions reported by the authorities.
What the Iranian military faced last night were small quadcopter drones, possibly launched by anti-Iran armed groups supported by Israel and the United States.
Iranian media report that air defense systems in several parts of the country were activated to counter the attacks, and while a no-fly order for civilian flights was issued, it was later revoked.
The Iranian military claims that the small explosions heard in various parts of the country were due to the downing of quadcopter drones by its activated defense systems.
Iran’s national news agency reported that three small quadcopter drones were shot down near the city of Isfahan, which hosts several large military bases, including an airbase allegedly involved in recent ballistic missile launches against Israel.
According to Iranian media, these small quadcopter drones might have been launched from within Iran by Western and Israeli-backed armed groups, all successfully intercepted by Iranian air defenses.
The Iranian military has ramped up the presence of its air defense systems around Tehran and other major cities as well as military bases, anticipating possible retaliatory strikes from Israel. — DSA