After years of indirect confrontations through third parties in conflict zones like Syria and LebanonTHE tensions between Israel and Iran exploded after the Ayatollah regime launched a wave of drones and missiles against Israeli territory last night. This attack is a response to that attributed to Israel against the Iranian consulate building in Damascus which cost the lives of at least seven people.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (Supreme Leader of Iran), as well as President Ebrahim Raïssi, They expressed on Tuesday April 2 their determination to respond to the attack, attributed to Israel, against their consulate in Syria. The two Iranian leaders assured that this act would not go without retaliation… and this is indeed the case. After last night’s attacks, there are fears of a possible open war between the two countries and how they might react to an armed attack by their enemy on their own territories.
The Global Firepower Index This places Iran among the world’s top 15 military powers, ranking 14th. Its strength lies in its army as well as its manpower, although the latter is one of the few characteristics that most countries possess.
Iran has 610.00 soldiers, 350,000 reservists and 220,000 paramilitaries who serve as reinforcements for the country’s combat capacity. One of the largest and officially recognized paramilitary groups is the Corps of The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its branch, the Quds Force. However, there are also organized volunteer groups such as Bassidj, which act in various fields from civil protection to the application of internal moral law.
In terms of land power, 92.4% of Iran’s force resides in military vehicles (65,765)but they also have 1,996 tanks, 580 propelled artillery vehicles, 2,050 towed and 775 rocket-propelled artillery vehicles (MLRS).
Iran also 551 planes, including 222 combat or attack aircraft (the rest is divided between training aircraft (155), tankers (14), transporters (12) and special mission (23). The country’s naval force has 101 assets including frigates (7), corvettes (3), submarines (19), patrol boats (21) and mine warfare.
It is important to note that waging and sustaining a protracted conflict or war requires a significant financial commitment. For that, Iran devotes a budget of nearly $10 billion to defense. Iran prioritizes a defense in depth strategywith strong missile capabilities and regional influence thanks to allied groups.
What do the Israeli armed forces look like?
Israel has military power comparable to that of Iran according to the Global Fire Power Indexwhich places it in the position number 17. Its land army is made up of 170,000 active soldiers and 465,000 reservists. Although it is true that they have fewer troops than Iran, it must be taken into account that it is a country whose The total population is 10 times less than that of Iran.
Regarding the land force, 94.6% of the inventory of the State of Israel consists of combat vehicles (43,407). Although they are not far behind in tanks (1,370), self-propelled artillery vehicles (650), towed field vehicles (300) and MLRS (120). Israel has approximately 612 planes, a higher number but comparable to that of the Iranians. Of these ships, 328 are combat or attack ships, 14 are tankers, 23 are special mission ships, 12 carriers and 155 trainers.
In reference to naval force, Israel has relatively few assets, 67 in total between corvettes (7), submarines (5) and patrol boats (45). It should be noted that Israel is an undeclared nuclear power by not being part of Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
The Israeli army, known as Israel Defense Forces (IDF) It is a highly technological system, with a significant emphasis on intelligence. It is known for its operational agility and rapid response capabilities. Being more oriented towards innovation and technical advances, Its defense budget is more than double that of Iran, at over $24 billion.