Did the Iranian army pull a trick: Iron Dome targets its own positions

When air raid sirens sound, Israelis run for cover. But with hundreds of drones and missiles flying toward the country, most people place their trust in Israel’s multi-layered air defense systems.

New evidence suggests that Iran has successfully disrupted Israel’s renowned air defense in recent attacks, forcing Tel Aviv’s systems to mistakenly target their own positions. In short, some observers claim the defense is faltering, while others strongly deny this. So what exactly is the Iron Dome, and how does it work?

Israel’s multi-layered air defense system

Iran’s large-scale retaliatory strikes are putting Israel’s layered defense network to a serious test. Built on decades of experience and sustained US financial support, Israel’s air defense architecture combines multiple systems: Arrow 2, Arrow 3, David’s Sling, and the Iron Dome.

Many people mistakenly think of the Iron Dome as Israel’s sole defense system, but in reality, it is just one protective layer. For example, the outermost layer — the Arrow system — is designed to counter long-range ballistic missiles. Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 can intercept enemy missiles at altitudes of 100 km and 150 km, respectively, with ranges extending up to 2,400 km.

David’s Sling, developed jointly with Raytheon, targets medium-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and large-caliber rockets. It was the first system to successfully intercept an Iranian ballistic missile.

However, each defense layer has its limits. Each battery can only neutralize a limited number of incoming threats simultaneously. Iran’s use of mixed attacks — combining ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones — challenges the systems’ ability to distinguish and prioritize targets effectively.

What is the Iron Dome and how does it work?

The Iron Dome is Israel’s central and most widely recognized air defense layer, credited with providing 80–90 percent protection against short-range rocket threats. Launched in 2011 with significant US backing, it has protected civilian areas during multiple conflicts over the past decade.

According to its manufacturer, the Iron Dome has intercepted over 5,000 rockets to date.

Each Iron Dome battery can defend an area of up to 150 square kilometers and is primarily intended to shoot down low-cost, short-range rockets fired by border-based militant groups. Each battery costs about \$100 million, and every interceptor missile costs approximately \$50,000 — so the system only targets projectiles that pose a real threat to lives or critical infrastructure.

The Iron Dome is made up of three main components. First, its advanced radar detects and tracks incoming threats within a radius of about 100 kilometers. Next, a command center analyzes the speed and trajectory of each threat to determine if it poses a danger. For example, if a missile travels at 1 kilometer per second, operators have roughly one minute to respond.

Finally, the system’s Tamir interceptor missiles, which fly at twice the speed of sound, use maneuverable control wings and heat-seeking sensors to close in within 10 meters of the target. Seconds before impact, the warhead bursts into high-speed metal fragments, destroying the threat in the air.

Initially, each Tamir interceptor cost about \$100,000 to produce, but more recent estimates suggest the cost has fallen to around \$40,000–50,000 per missile.

Is Iron Dome failing?

In recent years, the Iron Dome has been subjected to intense and prolonged bombardment from multiple directions — conditions for which it was not originally designed. The system was developed to counter short-term rocket attacks, so under heavy and sustained assaults, it sometimes struggles to provide sufficient protection.

In October 2023, Hamas fired thousands of rockets from Gaza in just 20 minutes, overwhelming the system and allowing projectiles to penetrate Israel’s defenses.

Additionally, new “drone swarm” tactics have exposed weaknesses in the system. According to the Israeli military, four soldiers were killed and seven others seriously injured in a drone attack north of Tel Aviv in October 2024. Lebanon’s Hezbollah claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it used newly modified drones designed to evade Israeli air defense radars.

Now, Iron Dome faces an even greater challenge: a massive, sustained barrage of missiles and drones launched by a country more than 70 times larger than Israel, in retaliation for Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion against Iran.

Iran and its allies possess missiles with ranges up to 1,500 kilometers, capable of striking any point inside Israel. Tehran’s recent attacks have demonstrated these capabilities. In less than a week, Iranian strikes have reportedly killed dozens and wounded hundreds.

The Iranian military claims to have deployed new tactics that force Israel’s multi-layered air defense systems to mistakenly target each other. The Israeli Defense Forces have not commented on these claims.

US-backed reserves

Israel also operates the US-made Patriot air defense system, which can detect and shoot down enemy missiles, drones, or aircraft at ranges up to 160 kilometers.

In late 2024, the Pentagon deployed a mobile Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system to Israel to help counter Iranian ballistic missile threats.

Iran has used waves of drones and missiles in coordinated attacks designed to overwhelm Israel’s air defense layers. Reports indicate the following weapons have been used:

- Over 100 Shahed drones, deployed in coordinated groups.
- Older ballistic missiles, used as decoys to deplete interceptor stocks.
- “Fattah” hypersonic missiles, which fly too fast for systems like Israel’s Arrow to intercept reliably.

The Fattah missile can reach Israel in just seven minutes, while the Iron Dome requires about eleven minutes to reload between interceptions.

Israel’s new project: Iron light

In response to these threats, Israel is developing a new defense system based on laser technology. Dubbed “Iron Light,” the system aims to intercept airborne threats at a fraction of the cost of current interceptors — each laser shot would cost only a few dollars compared to tens of thousands for a single missile. However, according to Israeli officials, Iron Light is not yet operational.