NEW YORK – The Israeli attack on an Iranian airbase in Isfahan hit a crucial part of an air defence system, a New York Times analysis of satellite imagery found.

Images showed that the precision attack on the 8th Shekari Air Base damaged or destroyed the “flap-lid” radar, which is used in S-300 air defence systems to track incoming targets.

The Times used several satellite images in its analysis; the location of the damaged area was first pointed out on the social media platform X by Aurora Intel, and the findings have also been confirmed by former US government imagery analyst Chris Biggers.

The radar is typically surrounded by several vehicles, including four trucks carrying missiles. Before the strike, the missiles were seen positioned next to the radar. After the strike, they had been moved and did not appear visibly damaged. It was not clear why the missiles had been moved. However, the fact that they appear undamaged indicated that the attack had a very precise target, according to Mr Biggers.

Other areas of the airbase and adjacent airport also appeared to be undamaged. The precision of the strike, deep within Iran and with several sensitive sites close by, suggested Israel chose the specific and narrow target, the air defence system.

According to the Missile Defence Project of the Washington think-tank Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Iran has acquired Russian-made S-300 air defence systems to deter Israeli and other air strikes. NYTIMES