Israel relied heavily on allies to fend off missiles

The neutralisation of Iran’s missile barrage on Israel not only highlighted the extent and sophistication of the air defences protecting the Jewish state, but also its reliance on other nations to implement them.

The Iron Dome system, designed to shoot down shortrange rockets, was developed by Israel with US backing and proved its worth again on Sunday morning as the skies over Israel lit up when the system intercepted Iranian missiles.

Iran might even have the hi-tech US system to thank for avoiding what would have been an awkward missile strike on al-Aqsa mosque.

The Pentagon has confirmed the extent of America’s role in thwarting Iranian drones and missiles. US Central Command said its forces destroyed more than 80 one-way attack drones and at least six ballistic missiles. This would account for nearly half of the 170 drones fired at Israel.

Four RAF Typhoons based in Cyprus aided Israel’s defence by shooting down drones, as did neighbouring Jordan, and France is also thought to have helped. Israel claims around 99 per cent of the 300 or so missiles failed to reach their targets.

But the sheer number of missiles pointing Israel’s way and the fact that Israel has a very limited number of intercept missiles means there probably aren’t enough munitions to cope with an all-out conflict.

Uri Bar-Joseph, a security expert and historian at Haifa University, says Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, probably has 30,000 missiles that can reach Tel Aviv and south of Tel Aviv, with a payload of half a ton.

“My guess is that we don’t have even 10 per of this number of intercepts missiles needed to take them out,” he says. “So, if they start launching, both Hezbollah and Iran, Israel will run out of defence capabilities in a short period of time. It is true we can hit them back and they will pay a high price. But everyone loses.”