Cost of Thwarting Iran's Missile Attack May Exceed $1 Bln

Israel and its allies' interception of the unprecedented Iranian attack on Saturday night has drawn attention.

However, the cost of the operation, which lasted only a few hours, was steep, highlighting the enormous expense of air defense, as countries like Iran enhance their capabilities with drones and missiles.

Reem Aminotsh, a former brigadier general and senior financial advisor to the Israeli Army chief, estimates that efforts by Israel and the US, UK, France, and Jordanian militaries likely cost around $1.1 billion.

"This is the estimated cost of repelling an attack of this magnitude," Aminotsh stated, who also served on the board of Israel Aerospace Industries, one of the country's major defense companies, citing calculations he made based on the number of defensive missiles launched by Israel and others.

Zvika Haimovich, former commander of the Israeli Air Defense Forces, told journalists on Wednesday that Israel was responsible for two-thirds of the missile interception operations, with its allies handling the rest.

The Israeli military reported that Iran launched around 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 120 ballistic missiles.

However, according to the military, the only ballistic missiles that penetrated Israeli airspace were "very few in number." All attempts by drones and cruise missiles to attack Israel were thwarted before reaching their targets.

The operation involved coordination between Israel and its allies' radar systems, missile defense launchers, warships, and airbases throughout the Middle East.

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