According to satellite photos taken on Monday, an apparent Israeli retaliatory airstrike on Isfahan, Iran’s central city, targeted a radar system for a Russian-made air defense battery. This contradicts repeated denials from Tehran that the attack caused any damage. The strike on an S-300 radar, which appears to have been a very limited action by the Israelis, would indicate significantly more damage than the extensive drone and missile assault that Iran launched against Israel on April 13th. This may explain why Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have attempted to dismiss discussions about the actual impact of the strike on Iranian soil.
Iran has long vowed to destroy Israel, and analysts believe that both countries, who have been engaged in a covert shadow war for years, are now attempting to de-escalate tensions following a series of escalating attacks between them. However, experts emphasize that the strike on Iran’s most sophisticated air defense system, which is used to protect its nuclear sites, sends a strong message. According to Nicole Grajewski, a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment’s nuclear policy program who is writing a forthcoming book on Russia and Iran, “This attack shows Israel has the ability to penetrate Iran’s air defense systems.” “The precision of it was quite remarkable.”
Satellite images captured by Planet Labs PBC on Monday morning near Isfahan’s dual-use airport and air base, approximately 200 miles south of Tehran, revealed an area nearby that was utilized as a deployment site for the air defense system. Burn marks surround what analysts, including Chris Biggers, a consultant and former government imagery analyst, had previously identified as a “flap-lid” radar system for the S-300. Similar burn marks were visible in lower-resolution satellite images taken after Friday, although the nature of the site remained unclear. According to Biggers, other components of the missile system seemed to have been withdrawn from the location, despite the fact that they provide defensive protection for Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment plant, which is located underground. “That’s a strong statement, given the system, the location, and how they use it,” Biggers remarked.
