THREE Israeli airbases that served as launch pads for strikes on Iran have been targeted by Iran’s retaliatory Operation True Promise III.
Numerous Israeli targets in the occupied territories have been struck by Operation True Promise III. On June 14, the Brigadier General Ahmadi Vahidi, a top advisor to the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) pointed out that Iran’s attack targeted the Nevatim and Ovda airbases, which house the Israeli regime’s command and control centre and electronic warfare centre. He also added that the two facilities were utilized as grounds of aggression against Iran. Over 150 targets in all were taken into consideration by the operation planners and were attacked in stages.
In retaliation against the Zionist state, the Iranian Armed Forces launched potent ballistic missiles toward a number of cities within the seized regions. The nation is supporting the armed forces, and all political parties and other organizations around the nation have issued identical statements. Everyone agrees that we need to respond forcefully to the terrorist, despicable, and terrible Zionist identity.
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Revolution, declared following the Israeli strike that the Zionist state “has made a big mistake, a grave error, and committed a reckless act. “The Zionist regime needs to remember that the days of crimes going unpunished are over. The occupying and fraudulent Zionist dictatorship is destined to collapse.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian pointed to the Israeli regime’s history of attacking Muslim nations, including Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Iran. He cautioned that if the Islamic world’s collective and powerful resolve does not stop this evil process, the Zionist regime’s aggression will surely eventually spread to other countries in the region. “It is the historical duty of all Muslim nations to firmly, resolutely, and at all levels of international organizations oppose the Israeli regime’s blatant law-breaking,” he alarmed.
Tehran slammed Tel Aviv’s ridiculous accusations of “crippling” Iran’s defences as psychological warfare, pointing to its dispersed, terrain-advantaged stance. In order to avoid detection, Iran’s mobile air defence systems are placed strategically throughout hilly areas; unlike susceptible fixed radars, these units function like elusive ghosts. Top military leaders Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Chief Major General Hossein Salami have commented on the lessons learned and the strategic improvements Iran has implemented, drawing on past experiences and technological advancements [during the numerous air defence drills that have been held since the attack, some of which have introduced new systems]. Iran launched about 180 ballistic missiles in retaliation for Israeli strikes. Many of Iran’s missiles can carry both conventional and nuclear payloads since they are inherently dual-purpose [a recurring issue for the global].
Attacking Iran was a terrible miscalculation by the Israeli leadership, and Zionists should prepare for the repercussions. Iran’s defence sector is still developing in spite of international pressure and sanctions. Iran’s ballistic missile program, which began long before the Islamic Revolution of 1979 but gained immediacy and impetus during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, is one of the largest in West Asia. The IRGC is principally in charge of this program, which has developed from reverse-engineered North Korean and Soviet designs into a largely domestic, technologically diverse arsenal.
According to US Central Command General Kenneth McKenzie, Iran has more than 3,000 ballistic missiles. This figure does not include Iran’s expanding fleet of space launch vehicles (SLVs) and land-attack cruise missiles (LACMs), which have technology in common with intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Iran has made impressive technological strides and access to international markets and cutting-edge technologies has been severely restricted by international sanctions—– limitations have frequently acted as a spur for innovation at home. Iranian experts have achieved self-sufficiency in a number of defence fields by making notable strides in domestic military technology. Iran would not compromise on its military capabilities, especially its missile programme, which is exclusively defensive, officials have said on numerous occasions.
More than 90% of its armed forces’ equipment being designed and produced indigenously and have been developed by Iran Electronics Industries (IEI). Iran is constructing the Chabahar space base to launch satellites into geostationary orbit [becoming the first Muslim nation capable of doing so]. Iran is one of eleven nations with satellites in orbit. As part of its larger space program [technologically similar to its missile program], hopes to launch its first person into space by 2029 using domestic rockets and spacecraft. By March 2031, the Chabahar Space Centre is expected to be completely ready for foreign launches. The long-range propulsion capabilities of vehicles such as the Safir, Simorgh, Zuljanah, Qased, and Ghaem-100 are almost the same as those required for the construction of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The nation has witnessed a variety of technological advancements over the past few decades, ranging from nanotechnology to communications. Iran is involved in the field of artificial intelligence, as evidenced by its 17th-place ranking in the world. Important industry achievements like the SURENA IV robot and the BALAD navigation app demonstrate Iran’s progress as it works to establish itself as a leader in AI by 2032 [The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) named Iran’s’ as one of the top 10 nations in 2023]. Modern technology including robotic surgery, telemedicine and AI-based diagnostic tools have been used by Iranian hospitals and research facilities, raising the standard of healthcare services.
Iran, has emerged as a major participant in nanotechnology [ranked fourth in the world in 2020]. Notable accomplishments include the creation of medical nanofibers and the purifying of water from the Karun River. By utilizing a domestic sheep as a surrogate mother, researchers at the Royan Institute in Iran have accomplished a remarkable feat in interspecies cloning: the successful cloning of an endangered wild Isfahan mouflon.
—The writer is contributing columnist, based in Islamabad.
(amnanasirjamal2003@yahoo.com)
