An air defense radar was hit during the Israeli attack on Iran last week, new satellite photographs suggest.
Tehran has downplayed the impact of Israel’s attack near a major military air base and a nuclear site in the central city of Isfahan.
It came after Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel earlier this month, as tensions between the two countries rose amid the was in gaza.
Satellite photographs taken on Monday appear to show the Israeli attack a radar for an S-300 missile system.
Burn marks surround what analysts identify as a radar array for the S-300 system. Photo: AP.
Planet Labs PBC images show scorch marks around an area near the Isfahan dual-use airport and air base that analysts previously identified as a “flip-top” radar system used for the S-300.
The S-300 is a Russian-made surface-to-air missile system designed to defend against air attacks and cruise missiles.
Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have tried to rule out any impact that Israel’s attack has had on Iranian soil.
However, if confirmed, the hit to the radar system would represent far more damage done to Iran than the country inflicted on Israel in the massive drone and missile attack on April 13.
An Iranian S-300 air defense system on display in Tehran in 2017. Photo: AP
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“This attack demonstrates that Israel has the ability to penetrate Iran’s air defense systems,” said Nicole Grajewski, a fellow in the nuclear policy program at the Carnegie Endowment think tank. “The accuracy was quite remarkable.”
Chris Biggers, a consultant and former government imagery analyst, said it was a “powerful statement” given the system and location.