On June 13, 2025, Israel kicked off surprise attacks on important military and nuclear sites in Iran. Israeli air forces took out some of Iran’s top military leaders, nuclear scientists, and politicians while also damaging or destroying their air defenses and military facilities. In response, Tehran launched a bunch of retaliatory strikes on Israel, and some Iranian missiles managed to slip through Israel’s missile defense systems and hit key locations.
The attacks caused over 240 lives in Iran, including 70 women and children. In response, Iran fired about 400 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel, causing at least 24 deaths, injuring hundreds, and forcing many Israelis to take cover in bomb shelters.
Israel is successful at intercepting aerial threats with advanced systems like the Iron Dome, but this time, Iran got through their defenses, which are among the best in the world. The Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen also joined in by launching several missiles at Israel.
With the situation escalating, Israel officially reached out to other countries for help in intercepting the missiles and drones coming from Iran, according to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority (KAN). The United States assisted Israel with intercepting the Iranian missiles. Israel also requested assistance from France and the UK, and the UK responded by providing support. Britain had stepped in during two previous confrontations between Israel and Iran, helping out in international coalitions during “True Promise I” and “True Promise II,” which were missile strikes against Israel in April and October 2024.
France, on the other hand, has been hesitant. Also, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have offered their support to bolster Israel’s air defenses, just like they did during past Iranian attacks.
Israel Defense Systems
The Iron Dome is an advanced air defense system designed to detect incoming rockets and missiles, assess their trajectories, and intercept them effectively. According to Israeli authorities, the system has an effectiveness rate of approximately 90 percent. It became operational in 2011, following its development in response to rocket threats encountered during the 2006 conflict with Hezbollah.
Once a missile is identified, it is tracked by radar, which activates the control center to determine appropriate targets for engagement. The system launches two interceptor missiles for each incoming threat to maximize the success of interception. All air defense systems are limited by the number of interceptor missiles they can deploy, and the specific quantity within Israel’s air defense arsenal is not publicly known. Nonetheless, it is important to note that no system can claim a 100 percent interception rate.
Jordan and Saudi Arabia’s Cooperation
On June 16, 2023, the 21 Arab and Muslim-majority nations issued a formal statement expressing their firm rejection and condemnation of Israel’s recent military actions against Iran. The statement denounced any actions that contravene international law and the principles outlined in the United Nations Charter. They emphasized the necessity to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, fostering good neighborly relations, and resolving disputes peacefully.
The signatories also called for an immediate cessation of Israeli hostilities toward Iran and expressed concern regarding the escalating tensions, a threat to peace and stability in the region as a whole. Among the signatories were both Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
It is noteworthy that these two countries have taken indirect actions in response to the ongoing conflict. The Jordanian military confirmed the interception of missiles launched from Iran towards Israel, explaining that such projectiles could potentially have fallen in Jordan, endangering populated areas and resulting in casualties. It is standard practice for sovereign states to regard unauthorized incursions into their airspace as violations of domestic and international law.
Saudi Arabia has not publicly addressed the matter in a similar manner. However, according to experts, it may have allowed Israel to engage in defensive actions against missiles within its airspace and could be contributing to cooperative surveillance efforts.