Iran fired missiles at an American base in Qatar on Monday in retaliation for U.S. strikes on three critical nuclear sites.
U.S. forces operating anti-missile batteries shot down the Iranian missiles, two Pentagon officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss security matters.
Over days of conflict with Iran, Israel’s sophisticated and multilayered air defense system has intercepted most but not all of the incoming ballistic missiles that Iran has fired in retaliation for Israel’s strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and other targets.
Here’s how missile defense systems work — and why it is hard to stop a ballistic missile attack.
For all of the technological sophistication of missile defense systems, they are not foolproof.
Israel has one of the world’s best defense systems, yet it could not stop all of the missiles Iran has been firing in retaliation of Israel’s continuing attacks, leaving civilians dead or injured.
And Israel has a limited number of anti-missile interceptors. The question of whether its interceptors will outlast Iran’s missiles may shape the future of the conflict.
