Berlin, Germany (Weltexpress). Data from Oregon State University shows that the Iranian missiles were obviously much more accurate and their destructive power much greater than the regimes of the warmongers in Washington and Jerusalem had expected, while the famous “Iron Dome” over Israel did not deliver what it promised.
Scientists at Oregon State University in the US, who specialize in analyzing satellite radar data to detect bomb damage in war zones, recently shared their data and findings with the British daily newspaper The Telegraph. , it emerges that during the so-called “Twelve-Day War” last June 2025, Iranian ballistic missiles severely damaged five Israeli military bases, among other targets, which had not previously been mentioned publicly.
The following text is based in part on the report in the British Telegraph, as well as on AI research by Israeli, Iranian, and other international media, and on statements from official sources on X, formerly Twitter. It should be noted that official sources in Israel downplay or completely ignore the impact of Iranian attacks, while Iranian reports certainly have a bias in the opposite direction. Independent analyses of satellite data certainly paint a clearer picture.
According to the Telegraph, data from Oregon State University allegedly shows the full extent of Iran’s retaliatory attacks on Israel’s military infrastructure. However, this could not be made public due to Israel’s strict censorship laws – allegedly to avoid causing unrest among the population. The real reason for the strict secrecy, however, is likely to have been that this embarrassment would shake Israel’s aura as an invincible state and, more seriously, result in massive financial losses.
If the two war criminal regimes in Washington and Israel were to admit the full extent of the failure of their missile defense technologies, it would result in enormous commercial damage. Until now, Israeli and American air defense systems have been sold—falsely, but nevertheless very successfully—as the best in the world. Admitting that the missiles developed and produced by Iran on its own were able to overcome the Israeli-American defense in significant numbers could mean the end of an important part of the lucrative, multi-billion-dollar arms exports for both countries.
A brief review as a reminder
The illegal and unprovoked Israeli war of aggression against Iran, which began on June 13, 2025, aimed to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities, which is another war crime under international law. This led to a series of Iranian retaliatory strikes, which were obviously much more painful for Israel than has been admitted so far. There were signs of this even before the ceasefire, when US media reported that Netanyahu had told Trump he was willing to agree to an immediate ceasefire if the initiative came from Tehran.
Evidently, at that point, the Zionist regime was already forced to endure the Iranian missile attacks with increasing helplessness. This had led to fears in relevant circles that the Zionists, in their growing desperation, might resort to nuclear weapons if the Iranian attacks continued. This discussion, which was partly conducted in public, is likely to have been one of the reasons why the Americans immediately negotiated a ceasefire with Tehran.
The fighting began on June 13, 2025, with Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, missile sites, and the targeted assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists and top military officials. According to Israel, the aim of these operations was to stop or at least significantly delay Iran’s nuclear program – an accusation that Tehran categorically rejects. In the course of the conflict, the US Air Force also participated with targeted attacks on Iranian nuclear sites as part of Operation Midnight Hammer, in which B-2 bombers dropped bunker-busting bombs on Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan.
In response, Iran launched a massive wave of missile and drone attacks on Israeli military and civilian targets, including the devastating attack on the port of Haifa and a missile attack on the US base at Al Udeid in Qatar. The fighting finally ended on June 24, 2025, with a fragile ceasefire.
Satellite data: Key to uncovering the damage in Israel
The crucial new findings come from a research team at Oregon State University. This group uses radar satellite data to detect changes in the built environment and thus identify bomb damage in war zones. The team, led by Corey Scher, was able to identify clear explosion patterns at five key military bases in northern, central, and southern Israel, which had previously been kept secret by the Israeli side.
The identified targets include:
- Tel Nof Air Base in central Israel, an important hub for tanker aircraft and heavy helicopters
- Glilot Intelligence Center near Tel Aviv, a central hub for military reconnaissance
- Zipporit Base near Nazareth, a production facility for tank and weapon systems
- Another unnamed Israeli intelligence base
- an unidentified but apparently important logistics base
Satellite radar data showed clear impact patterns indicating direct hits. However, as Corey Scher’s team has not yet had access to high-resolution images and on-site investigations are not possible due to Israeli censorship and secrecy, an accurate assessment of the damage caused is limited. However, the research team announced that a more detailed analysis will be published later this month.
Scope and tactics of the Iranian drone and missile attacks
Iran’s strategy was designed to overload Israel’s air defenses. Tehran combined ballistic missiles with slow-moving disposable drones, the latter primarily intended to confuse Israeli and US air defenses and overwhelm defense systems.
According to available data, Iran fired over 500 ballistic missiles and around 1,100 drones at Israel during the twelve-day war. Dozens of these missiles broke through the Israeli-American defense system and caused severe damage to military and civilian infrastructure. A total of 240 buildings were hit, including two universities.
The Soroka Medical Center hospital at 151 Yitzhack I. Rager Blvd in the Be’er Sheva district was also damaged, which led to particular controversy. According to an Iranian statement, this was the secondary effect of a missile attack that destroyed the headquarters of Israeli military intelligence (IDF C4I Headquarters) in the Gav-Yam Negev Advanced Technologies Park, also in the Be’er Sheva district. The hospital is located just over a kilometer away from the site of the explosion as the crow flies.
The shock wave from this heavy blow to the IDF C4I headquarters shattered all the windows in the medical center and many patients were injured by flying glass shards. The Zionist propaganda then turned this into a “targeted barbaric attack” by Iran on a hospital, while Israel simultaneously bombed all 36 hospitals in the Gaza Strip either completely or rendered them largely inoperable.
Over 13,000 people were left homeless as a result of the Iranian attacks, with much of the damage to civilian homes caused by Israel’s own air defense activities, for example by falling debris from downed Iranian missiles or by its own interceptor missiles that missed their targets and exploded on impact with the ground, killing a total of 28 Israelis, despite well-functioning warning systems and shelters.
Rising penetration rate of Iranian missiles
A particularly explosive finding of the analyses concerns the steadily increasing penetration rate of Iranian missiles. At the beginning of the war, the rate of successful strikes was estimated at only 2 percent. By the seventh day, however, this figure had risen to around 16 percent. And on the nights of June 22 and 23, live videos from Israel showed Iranian missiles and drones raining down on Haifa and other cities without encountering any significant air defense. Experts attribute this to the following factors:
- The stocks of interceptor missiles on the Israeli and American sides were depleted.
- Iranian missile technology has improved, including more precise systems such as the “Fattah” missile.
- Tactical developments, in particular Iran’s clever coordination of slower drones with the simultaneous arrival of super-fast ballistic missiles over their respective Israeli targets, overwhelmed the air defense system.
This development highlights potential weaknesses in Israel’s air defense system, including the Iron Dome, which is considered virtually impenetrable, and the US-supported THAAD and Patriot systems.
Strategic implications
Iran’s ability to get a growing share of its missiles past Israeli defense systems highlights the progress made in Iranian missile technology. With an arsenal estimated at 2,000 to 2,500 ballistic missiles and ongoing mass production and tens of thousands of drones, this represents a growing deterrent to new attacks by Israel and the US.
However, the conflict dynamics remain highly volatile. Despite the ceasefire negotiated on June 24, both sides have since accused each other of violations. Iran has threatened further retaliatory strikes against US troops in the region, while Israel has stated that it will continue to target Iran’s military capabilities.
Against this backdrop, how should the consequences for the entire Middle East region be assessed? Who is seen as the aggressor in the region, and what consequences does this have for the credibility of US security guarantees? How are the Gulf states adapting their military and diplomatic strategies to the new risks, including the activities of proxy groups such as the Houthis? What does this crisis say about the future of Iran’s nuclear program?
Will Iran now have no choice but to follow the path of the DPRK, as many in the East and West fear, which means building its own nuclear weapons to neutralize the threat from the US and Israel? Are there any other possible ways to achieve a lasting ceasefire and revive the nuclear agreement? What political, strategic, and regional challenges stand in the way of such efforts? These and other questions will occupy us for many years to come.
