Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on Sunday, targeting the country with more than 300 missiles and drones, sparking fears of an all out war breaking out between the two.
The scale of the attack stunned the Israeli government, and has ramped up the pressure on the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take decisive action against the Islamic republic.
Leaks from Israel’s war cabinet suggest that Netanyahu has given the green light for a forceful and “painful strike” against the Islamic republic.
Opposition leader Benny Gantz, a war cabinet member, said on Sunday that Israel intends to “build a regional coalition and exact a price from Iran, in a way and at a time that suits us.”
Many experts now fear an inevitable escalation in hostilities between the sworn enemies that could lead to a full blown war.
Here the Daily Express looks at the strengths and weakness of each side’s military in the event of a major conflict between Israel and Iran.
Iran enjoys a clear advantage in population size, enabling it to maintain an active standing army of 420,000 personnel along with some 350,000 reservists.
Additionally, it boasts a powerful elite force in the form of the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has between 150,000 to 200,000 active soldiers.
In comparison, Israel has a standing army of around 170,000 active personnel and reserves of up to 465,000, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ (IISS) 2024 Military Balance report.
The Israel Defence Force (IDF) is though considered highly trained, well equipped and experienced.
Israel also has a more powerful, effective and modern airforce than Iran, whose inventory of fighter jets primarily consists of old and outdated US models, such as F-14s and F-4s.
Tehran has taken to producing its own fighter jets in the form of the HESA Saeqeh and Azarakhsh. These domestic fighter jets are considered vastly inferior to US and other foreign produced aircraft.
Recently Iran has started to purchase Russian MiG fighters and SU-35s, as it forges ever closer ties with Moscow.
Its relative weakness in fixed-wing aircraft is compensated to some extent by its impressive arsenal of drones – in particular the Shahed.
Israel possesses one of the world’s most potent airforces, boasting a formidable modern fleet of US-designed fighter jets.
These include 75 F-15s, 196 F-16s and 39 F-35s among its roughly 310 combat fighter jets and ground attack planes.
The IDF’s inventory of attack helicopters also includes an impressive 46 Apaches, described by some as “the most lethal” multi-mission chopper in the world.
One area where Israel and Iran are more or less equally matched is their stockpile of ballistic and cruise missiles.
Israel’s longest-range ballistic missile is the Jericho 3 with a range of up to 3,000 miles. The IDF can also call on supplies of shorter-range cruise missiles such as the Lora or Gabriel.
Iran’s ballistic missiles can reach up to 1,240 miles and include among them the Sejjil, Ghadr and Khorramshahr.
Tehran has also purchased the Russian made Kh-55 cruise missile – an an air-launched nuclear-capable weapon with a range of up to 1,860 miles.
