US warns of Iron Dome being overwhelmed in conflict with Hezbollah
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from Lebanon towards Israel over the Israeli Lebanese border, as seen from northern Israel, April 12, 2024. (Reuters)
According to the Guardian, U.S. officials warn that any significantly escalated conflict with Hezbollah could overpower Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile batteries during initial strikes. Late last week, experts in the United States and Israel completed this evaluation, which aligns with recent analyses. There are apprehensions that a conflict with Hezbollah could be more perilous than the devastating 2006 second Lebanon war, which resulted in extensive destruction in Lebanon as a result of Israeli bombing.
In an effort to avert a more extensive conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, U.S. and French diplomats are spearheading diplomatic initiatives. They are concerned that the escalating rhetoric and fire exchanges across the border could result in a full-scale war. Kuwait’s foreign ministry issued a warning to its citizens on Friday, advising them to refrain from traveling to Lebanon and advising those who are already there to depart. Furthermore, there are allegations that officials in the Biden administration informed an Israeli delegation in Washington that the United States would provide security assistance in the event of a more extensive conflict. The United Nations secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, also urged for “reason and rationality” in order to prevent the potential catastrophic consequences for the world and the region.
Regarded as the world’s most well-armed non-state group, Hezbollah has significantly expanded its arsenal and capabilities since 2006. This includes the acquisition of suicide drones, which Israel has struggled to counter; an anti-aircraft missile capability; and a significantly expanded missile array, currently estimated to number between 120,000 and 200,000.
Although Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the general secretary of Hezbollah, has asserted that the organization can mobilize 100,000 armed personnel, its core military strength is likely to be approximately one-third of that figure, with a substantial number of its members having acquired combat experience in Syria.
Hezbollah’s operational doctrine for employing its missile arsenal in a major conflict with Israel, as well as the sheer size of its arsenal, present significant obstacles. Since 2006, Hezbollah has acquired hundreds of guided ballistic missiles, both short-range and long-range arming hardened bunkers and mobile launchers.
Hezbollah’s increasing and effective use of drones, including kamikaze weapons, which Israel’s existing air defenses have struggled to counter, further complicates the situation.
