Army superseded air defense systems damaged in Israeli onslaught: Iran commander
Iran said on Sunday it had replaced its air defense systems damaged during Israel’s 12-day aggression last month.
Iran’s Army Operations Chief Rear Admiral Mahmoud Mousavi said Israel sought to destroy Iran's defense capabilities, and some of the country’s defense systems were damaged in the aggression.
"Some of our air defenses were damaged, this is not something we can hide, but our colleagues have used domestic resources and replaced them with pre-arranged systems that were stored in suitable locations in order to keep the airspace secure," Mousavi said.
Iran's air defense network includes systems like the domestically built Bavar-373 and Khordad-15, designed to counter missiles and aircraft. Iran also installed Russia's S-300 air defense systems in 2016.
Mousavi said Iran’s radar and air defense systems were among the first targets of Israel in its 12-day assault, but the Air Defense Force personnel remained at their stations around the clock and confronted the enemy.
Mousavi also noted that by using the existing air defense systems and the new replacements, the Iranian forces managed to cover the country's skies, and thus the enemy failed to achieve its objectives.
He further said that Israel did not enter the war alone and that the United States and NATO helped it.
"The capacity of the Iranian Armed Forces is beyond what the illegitimate Zionist regime can counter. However, the supporters of this usurping regime have been aiding it for months by gathering intelligence, and we consider the US complicit in the Zionist regime’s crimes,” he pointed out.
On June 13, Israel launched an unprovoked aggression against Iran, killing more than 1,000 people, including military commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary civilians.
More than a week later, the US also entered the war by bombing three Iranian nuclear sites in a grave violation of international law.
In response, the Iranian Armed Forces targeted strategic sites across the occupied territories as well as the al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest American military base in West Asia.
Iranian fire killed at least 28 people in Israel.