Israel covered up Iranian hits on military sites – Telegraph
Israel concealed that Iranian missiles hit several key military sites across the country during the recent 12-day war, The Telegraph reported on Saturday, citing radar data.
The data, provided to the British paper by Oregon State University researchers who track bomb damage using satellite radar, indicates that six Iranian missiles hit five military facilities in the north, south, and center of Israel, including a major air base, an intelligence gathering center, and a logistics base. The extent of the reported damage is unclear.
However, the hits were not publicly reported due to heavy military censorship, according to the report. When pressed on the issue, the Israel Defense Forces, declined to comment, only saying that “all relevant units maintained functional continuity throughout the operation.”
Analysis cited by The Telegraph suggests that Israeli and US air defenses generally performed well, intercepting most of the incoming fire, although the share of missiles that penetrated through Israeli defenses rose to about 16% by the seventh day. The paper noted that this could have been linked with Israeli attempts to conserve ammunition, improved tactics by Iran, or the deployment of more advanced and harder-to-intercept weaponry.
The conflict began on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, top Iranian commanders, and military sites, triggering retaliation by Tehran. Israeli officials reported 29 deaths and over 3,200 injuries, while Iran estimated over 900 deaths and 4,700 injuries.
The US eventually joined the conflict by deploying heavy bombers against key Iranian nuclear sites. After a ceasefire was reached, both sides proclaimed victory.
The hostilities started after Iran declined a US demand to abandon its enrichment capabilities, which Washington believes could enable Tehran to create nuclear weapons. Iran has denied plans to create an atomic weapon, insisting that its nuclear program only serves peaceful purposes.
