Iran vs Israel: Comparing Military Strength Amid Rising Tensions
By : DC Web Desk
Update: 2024-10-04 12:19 GMT
Iran launched approximately 200 ballistic missiles targeting Israeli military sites on October 1, marking its largest attack of this kind. The strike triggered sirens across Israel and activated its advanced defense systems."Iran made a grave mistake tonight – and it will pay for it," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared in response to the unprecedented assault.
Iran's leadership stated that the attack was meant as a warning for Israel to avoid direct conflict with its long-standing adversary, cautioning that any Israeli retaliation would be met with “stronger and more painful” responses.
This escalation occurred 24 hours after Israel launched a ground offensive in Lebanon to target Hezbollah, a powerful militant group supported by Iran. The offensive followed the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by Israel in a strike on Beirut.
As tensions between Iran and Israel intensify, here is a comparative analysis of their military capabilities based on the Global Firepower Index 2024:
Iran total of 6,10,000 active personnel, 350,000 reservists, and 220,000 paramilitary forces, meanwhile Israel has a military presence of 170,000 active personnel, supported by 465,000 reserves and 35,000 paramilitary forces.
In terms of Air Power, Iran has a total of 551 aircraft, consisting of 186 fighter jets and 129 helicopters out of which 13 are designated as attack helicopters, while Israel operates 612 aircraft, including 241 fighter jets and 146 helicopters of which 48 are classified as attack helicopters.
In the land forces category, Iran operates 1,996 tanks and a larger fleet of 65,765 armored vehicles, and Israel operates 1,370 tanks and 43,407 armored vehicles, besides 650 self-propelled units and 150 rocket artillery systems.
Israel further has an edge in self-propelled artillery with 580 units over Iran's 775 rocket artillery systems.
In terms of naval capabilities, Iran has seven frigates and three submarines added to 19 patrol vessels and one mine warfare vessel. In contrast, Israel has five submarines, besides seven corvettes, and 45 patrol vessels.