Israel's Iron Dome shows 99% success rate against missiles

TEL AVIV,— Israel’s Iron Dome air defense network has intercepted almost all rockets launched by Hamas and Hezbollah fighters since the Gaza war began in October 2023, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Chairman Yuval Steinitz said Monday.

Speaking during an event organized by the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, Steinitz said militants in Gaza and Lebanon had fired nearly 40,000 rockets toward Israel during the conflict.

He said the interception rate was close to perfect, estimating it at between 98% and 99%.

Steinitz also said Iran launched around 1,500 ballistic missiles at Israel during two separate confrontations since 2024. He said only a few dozen missiles managed to avoid interception.

According to Steinitz, Israel has maintained enough interceptor supplies and is not facing shortages.

He said the Iron Dome system, which has received major financial support from the United States, helped prevent severe disruption across Israel.

Without the defense shield, Steinitz said, daily life and economic activity would have been heavily affected because many people would avoid work, schools would stop operating and military facilities would struggle to function normally.

He also said large numbers of civilians could have been killed in Israeli cities without the missile defense system in place.

Steinitz previously served as intelligence and strategy minister in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and took part in discussions linked to the 2015 nuclear agreement between the United States and Iran.

He opposed the deal and said any future agreement should include at least 20 years of limits on uranium enrichment and commitments against chemical and biological weapons programs.

(With files from Reuters)