Israel is once again on alert for almost certain retaliation from Iran for the assassination of the political leader of HamasIsmail Haniyeh, in Tehran – in addition to The death of the military commander of the Shiite group HezbollahFouad Shukr in Lebanon – and all eyes are once again on his air defence systems.
The best known of these is the “Iron Dome” system, developed with US assistance, which Israel has used for more than a decade to repel attacks with short-range projectiles, such as rockets and mortars launched by Palestinian militias from the Gaza Strip. It can also intercept drones, increasingly used with an explosive payload.