The last nights showed why Israel is afraid of the destructive Iranian ballistic missiles / how many rockets does Tehran have and what IDF can do to stop them

Israeli officials have stressed that the country's anti -aircraft defense is “among the best in the world”, but “it is not hermetic”. A correct warning. At least 14 people have died so far in Israel, following Iran's attacks, hundreds have been injured, and the balance is growing, the New York Times and Jerusalem Post write.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that massive attacks against Iran, who started on Friday morning, are essential to neutralize what he describes to be the “existential” threats to his country.

Beyond the nuclear program of Iran, which he has talked about for decades, he mentioned another threat: ballistic missiles, hundreds of them already being launched against Israel in waves of attacks this weekend.

Netanyahu warned that Iran has accelerated production and aims to make 300 ballistic missiles a month, which would mean 20,000 missiles in six years.

He said that each of these missiles is the equivalent of “a bus full of explosives” ready to hit the Israeli cities.

How many rockets did Iran launch and how many of them hit Israel

Iran has already launched around 200 missiles on Israel on Friday night, but also dozens of explosive drones, according to Israeli authorities.

The Israeli army has so far not published data on the number of missiles he intercepted and did not specify how much they managed to pass the anti-aircraft defense, stating that such details could help the enemy.

But the office of the Israeli prime minister said on Saturday afternoon that 17 places were identified in which the missiles hit.

Some hit Tel Avivul and his suburbs left Gan and Rishon Lezion, in the coastal plain in the center of Israel. On Saturday night, a dam was directed to the city of Haifa in the north and its surroundings.

Attacks with rockets on Friday night and Saturday killed at least 10 Israeli civilians and injured over 200 people, including soldiers, according to the authorities.

More people are still missing.

Brigadier General Effie Defrin, the spokesman of the Israeli army, said on Saturday that the anti -aircraft defense of Israel is “among the best in the world”, but “it is not hermetic.”

What did the Iranians try to hit

Many of the places hit by the Iranian missiles seem to be inside the Israeli cities. Israel accused Iran of intentionally aimed at civil areas.

It is not clear whether military goals or critical infrastructures have been hit. Officials do not disclose such information, saying they would help the enemy.

But Israel is a relatively small country. Most of his population lives in the crowded coastal plain.

And the army maintains bases and camps in many populated areas, as well as in more distant parts of the country.

A block of housing that was hit directly on Saturday morning is part of a popular entertainment neighborhood, full of cafes and restaurants.

It is also near the main military and governmental headquarters in Tel Aviv, which was most likely the target targeted.

Later, on Saturday, the rockets were directed to the Haifa port city. The largest oil refinery in Israel is in the area of ​​Haifa.

At least six people were killed, over 100 were injured and four were missing after an Iranian balloon rocket hit a ten -storey residential building in the city of Bat Yam, on Saturday night to Sunday.

How many rockets does Iran have

The Israeli army hit the stocks of ballistic missiles and rocket launchers, reducing the number of those he has to launch on Israel.

Military officials and experts say that Iran has hundreds of missiles – maybe up to 2,000 – with a range that can reach Israel.

If Iran continues to launch rockets at the current pace, it could most likely maintain the firing pace for a few more days, writes the New York Times.

There are also slightly different estimates of Jerusalem Post.

Some American and Israeli sources told Jerusalem Post that, before the war, Iran had 3,000 ballistic missiles, but that only about 1,000 could reach Israel and had only 150-250 launchers for these missiles.

If Iran would start to launch only 50-100 missiles a day and, possibly, reduce this number to several tens per day, they could keep the Internal Front of Israel under intense fire for weeks or even Monday, the Israeli publication wrote.

How strong are the rockets that hit Israel

Netanyahu said that every Iranian rocket transported a ton of explosives, although military officials and experts say that weight can vary.

Tal Inbar, an Israeli expert in the space and missiles, said for the New York Times that Iranian ballistic missiles transport between 300 and 700 kilograms of explosives.

Inbar said that Israel was not surprised by the capabilities of the Iranian missiles, given that it was already the target of massive bales of similar projectiles in April 2024 and October 2024, when Iran responded to Israeli attacks.

The Houthi militia, a group supported by Iran based in Yemen, has also launched ballistic missiles on Israel, saying that they act in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

But Houthi rebels tend to launch a single rocket per day, and most have been intercepted by Israeli and American anti -aircraft defense systems.

The difference this time, said Inbar, was the amount of missiles that Iran launched simultaneously, in an attempt to overwhelm the air defense, and the fact that some impact places were in densely populated areas, where only shock waves cause extensive damage.

He said that some images broadcast on Saturday by the Israeli army showed at least one type of rocket that Iran had not until now on Israel.

Called “Shahed Haj Qassem”, it has an action ray of about 1,500 kilometers.

It is a solid propulsion rocket that does not require refuel before launch, said INBAR, which means it can stay under the ground for years and can become operational in a few minutes.

Can I stop the Iran's counterattacks?

On Sunday afternoon, IDF said that it has so far recorded remarkable successes against Iran's nuclear and ballistic programs, but that it has not progressed enough to be able to make a clear forecast as to the moment when it could substantially exhaust the Islamic Republic.

However, IDF said that it was essential for the air forces to attack Iran in stages, first eliminating the air defense, the top commanders and the Natanz nuclear site, very well defended.

After this stage, IDF began to focus more on the individual ballistic missiles and attack vehicles, although this is difficult, as they are mobile, and Israeli aircraft must return to Israel to refuel with fuel at different points.

Unlike the attack on Hezbollah, IDF cannot use overwhelmingly and endlessly using overwhelming fire.

Most drones cannot reach Iran, and planes need hours instead of 15 minutes.

An IDF official said the progress was faster than the American army was very impressed, but that does not answer the questions about prolonged threat to the Israeli front.