JP: Israel nears critical milestone in neutralising Iran’s missile capabilities

Israel is reportedly on the verge of reaching a major breakthrough in its military campaign against Iran, with the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) approaching the destruction of half of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers, according to sources cited by The Jerusalem Post.

This significant development emerged following comments by IDF Chief Spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin, who stated that the Israeli Air Force has already eliminated "hundreds" of Iran’s launchers.

Military analysts suggest that reaching a 50–70% destruction threshold could drastically alter the strategic balance. Even if Iran retains as many as 15,000 ballistic missiles, its capacity to fire them would be severely constrained.

With a major portion of its launching infrastructure destroyed, Iran might only be capable of launching between 10 and 30 missiles at a time — far fewer than the earlier waves — making it easier for Israeli missile defence systems to intercept incoming threats.

Earlier this week, the IDF reported the destruction of 120 ballistic missile launchers, which at the time was estimated to constitute about one-third of Iran’s overall capacity. However, the updated figures presented today suggest that this earlier assessment may have been conservative and that Israeli forces are further along in their offensive than previously understood.

The shifting trend is also evident on the battlefield: where Iran had initially launched missiles in the hundreds, current attacks appear to involve only a few dozen projectiles. This declining launch rate points to a potentially decisive turning point in the ongoing conflict, as Israeli airstrikes continue to degrade Tehran’s offensive capabilities.

By Tamilla Hasanova