World
Under fire: Israel's Iron Dome winning but pressure's on as conflict with Iran escalates
As rockets continue to rain down on Israel, Tuesday marked an unprecedented attack from Iran, which fired 181 ballistic missiles toward the country. For an hour, the entire nation took shelter; fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries, thanks to Israel’s air defense system.
This system has been crucial in protecting Israeli civilians, intercepting thousands of missiles aimed at population centers. However, some missiles did land at several air force bases and near the Mossad headquarters, although they did not cause “significant damage,” according to the IDF chief of staff.
Israel’s air defense strategy extends beyond Iron Dome. Systems like David’s Sling and Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 provide defense against medium- and long-range missiles, and these systems have also been crucial in the current conflict. Israel Air Force Reserve Brig. Gen. Doron Gavish explains that the multi-layered defense structure was designed to handle a wide range of threats. “We’ve used David’s Sling to intercept rockets from Lebanon, and Arrow 3 to counter ballistic missiles from Iran. It’s not just Iron Dome – it’s a network of systems working together.”
HEZBOLLAH’S NEIGHBORS: ISRAELI BORDER COMMUNITY UNDER CONSTANT ATTACK FROM TERROR GROUP
Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, Oct. 1, 2024. (Reuters/Amir Cohen)
While the Iron Dome wasn’t extensively utilized against Iran, its operators have kept busy keeping Israel safe since the start of the war on Oct. 7 last year.
“The Iron Dome has done incredible work, but, like any defensive system, the extended, high-intensity fighting has taken its toll on it – it wasn’t built for a conflict of this length and intensity,” Hilla Haddad Chmelnik, an aerospace engineer who played a key role in developing Iron Dome, and who acknowledges that the system is being tested in ways it was not originally designed for.
Haddad Chmelnik, who also served as director-general of Israel’s Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, emphasizes the need for ongoing innovation to keep up with evolving threats.
And with Lebanon and Israel’s escalating fight with Hezbollah, the need for the system is greater than ever, she says. Just this last week alone, hundreds of rockets, missiles and UAVs were launched against Israel from Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Rockets fired by Palestinian terrorists from Gaza City are intercepted by the Israeli Iron Dome defense missile system in the early hours of Oct. 8, 2023. (Eyad Baba/AFP via Getty Images)
While Hamas’s rocket supply in Gaza has been largely depleted, the situation in Lebanon is very different. “In Gaza, we have significantly reduced the number of rockets left in Hamas’ arsenal. But in Lebanon, the numbers have not dropped enough,” she says. Hezbollah is believed to have perhaps 140,000 rockets, and they are much more sophisticated than those used by Hamas and can penetrate much deeper into Israel.
And then there is the question of Iran, and the possibility of the war widening to include direct conflict with that country. “Compared to Lebanon, the threat from Iran is more manageable,” she says. Staging a large-scale missile attack from Iran is a complex undertaking, which can be detected and preemptively targeted,” Haddad Chmelnik says. “Launching a ballistic missile 1,500 kilometers requires preparation, and that’s visible. It’s very hard to hide from satellites, and that gives us the opportunity to strike preemptively, in addition to preparing to defend ourselves.”
Haddad Chmelnik emphasizes that Israel’s missile-defense systems, which were built in coordination with the U.S., are capable of withstanding Iranian attacks. “The Iranian missile threat can be countered, and our second-strike capability is very significant. Israel has the upper hand in that respect,” she says. “That’s why Iran is cautious – it has more to lose than to gain.”
IRAN WARNS OF ‘DECISIVE RESPONSE’ IF ISRAEL CROSSES ‘RED LINES’
Iron Dome was first deployed in 2011, following years of development in response to the growing threat of rocket fire from Gaza. (IDF Spokesman’s Unit.)
Iron Dome was first deployed in 2011, following years of development in response to the growing threat of rocket fire from Gaza. What sets the system apart, Haddad Chmelnik says, is its innovation and simplicity. “It’s a brilliant technology that no other country has. Iron Dome was developed with the support of the U.S., and now we’re seeing other nations buying it for their own defense.”
Indeed, the success of Iron Dome has attracted international attention. Countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Finland have purchased Iron Dome components or batteries. “Israel is the most protected country in the world when it comes to air defense,” Haddad Chmelnik explains. “Now, we are seeing countries across the globe investing in it.”
Israel Air Force Reserve Brig. Gen. Doron Gavish, former commander of Israel’s Air Defense Corps, recalls the initial skepticism surrounding the project. “Before Iron Dome, we had no real answer to these types of rockets,” he says. “People doubted we could create an effective, cost-efficient interceptor. But the system has proven itself over the years. Iron Dome has intercepted thousands of rockets.”
An Israeli man works next to a destroyed home after rockets fired by Hezbollah terrorists struck in Katzrin, in the Golan Heights, Aug. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Each Iron Dome interceptor missile costs around $50,000, while some of the rockets it is designed to destroy, such as those made by Hamas, can cost just a few hundred dollars. The cost of maintaining one Iron Dome battery, which requires dozens of soldiers to operate, is about $100 million. Currently, there are approximately 12 Iron Dome batteries spread out across the country, each capable of defending up to 60 square miles, providing vital coverage in strategic areas.
WHAT IS ISRAEL’S FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE, THE IRON DOME?
Half of Iron Dome operators are women, who agree to extend their service to three years – the same as is mandatory for men – to accommodate the long period of training. “The experience these soldiers have gained under fire is invaluable. But the pressure is enormous,” Brig. Gen. Gavish says. “It’s not like a video game. You’re making real-time decisions on which rockets to intercept. These soldiers know they’re protecting their families, their cities – sometimes even their own homes.”
But the current conflict, which has seen more than 20,000 rockets fired from Gaza and Lebanon since October 2023, has pushed the system, and its operators, to their limits. “When we designed Iron Dome, we never imagined it would have to function under such continuous strain,” Haddad Chmelnik says. “The system was built for short, intense bursts of fighting – not for a war that lasts nearly a year.”
Iran presents its first hypersonic ballistic missile in Tehran on June 6, 2023. (Sepah News/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
In recent months, some enemy rockets have slipped past the defenses, causing destruction in northern Israel. “No system is hermetic,” Gavish says. “There is no perfect defense. The reality is, the longer the war continues, the more pressure the system is put under.”
Meanwhile, the enemy is learning. “Every time Iron Dome successfully intercepts a rocket, our enemies are watching, learning and adapting,” Haddad Chmelnik says. “That’s why we see more complex threats emerging, like UAVs, and drones, which are harder to intercept.”
While Iron Dome remains effective, the future is uncertain. “The system is saving lives every day,” Brig. Gen. Gavish says. “But as the war goes on, it becomes harder and harder to maintain the same level of defense.”
A member of Israel’s Air Force technical corps stands by an Iron Dome battery.
Despite these successes, Haddad Chmelnik points out that no defense system is foolproof. “The way Iron Dome is built, it’s about more than just about identifying individual threats; it’s about adapting quickly as those threats evolve.” She emphasizes that while Iron Dome continues to play a crucial role, Israel’s long-term security will depend on continued technological advancements.
Despite the challenges they face in the current situation, those operating Iron Dome continue their mission. “The soldiers – men and women – are making complex decisions in real-time, protecting cities and families,” Brig. Gen. Gavish says, “They are the key to Iron Dome’s success.”
World
Mike Waltz says Gulf allies back Trump’s Iran pressure campaign after regional trip: ‘Zero daylight’
Dan Hoffman questions Iran’s readiness to negotiate a deal
Former CIA Chief of Station Dan Hoffman discusses the potential Iran deal, expressing doubt about its sincerity. He highlights U.S. military strikes, sanctions and blockades as key leverage points. Hoffman questions whether Iran’s recent ‘maximalist demands’ indicate a genuine desire for a breakthrough after intense pressure.
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U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Gulf allies are backing President Donald Trump’s blockade and economic pressure campaign against Iran, telling Fox News Digital after a trip to Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom that regional leaders believe Tehran is feeling the pain.
Waltz spoke to Fox News Digital on Thursday evening shortly after landing back in the United States, as reports of a possible deal with Iran began to emerge. He said the situation was still shifting by the hour, noting that Iran had launched another strike on Bahrain shortly after he left the region.
Waltz, the highest-level U.S. official to visit the region since the war began, said Gulf partners strongly support the administration’s efforts to keep pressure on Iran through both the blockade and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s “Operation Economic Fury.”
SCOTT BESSENT SAYS IRAN UNDERSTANDS ‘BRUTE FORCE’ AS TRUMP WEIGHS OPTIONS AMID NUCLEAR STANDOFF
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz is joined by Ambassador Jamal Fares Alrowaiei of Bahrain (left), Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates Mohamed Issa Abushahab,(right) and other Gulf states ambassadors as he speaks to reporters after the passing of a U.N. Security Council draft resolution on the situation with ships in the Strait of Hormuz on May 7, 2026 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
“They very much support the blockade,” Waltz said, adding that allies shared with him “in a number of ways” how Bessent’s economic campaign is affecting the regime. The pressure campaign, Waltz said, is designed to squeeze Tehran while Trump continues negotiations aimed at preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
On Friday, an unnamed U.S. official told reporters in a briefing: “We do expect to be signing this agreement with Iran over the next few days. We assess it at 85%, but not 100%. We feel very good about the deal. We are not quite at the finish line, but we are very close”
Waltz said, “The UAE, in particular, believes that you have to keep that pressure and a very credible pressure,” he told Fox News Digital. “That’s what the Iranians understand and respond to.”
Waltz said leaders in the region validated U.S. assessments that Iran’s economy is deteriorating under the combined weight of sanctions, military pressure and isolation. He said Iran’s currency is “tanking,” foreign currency reserves are running out, inflation is continuing to rise and the regime is struggling to pay the military, government employees and police.
TRUMP’S ‘ECONOMIC FURY’ SQUEEZES IRAN — BUT CAN TEHRAN OUTLAST THE PRESSURE?
An Emirates aircraft flies past plumes of smoke from a fire near Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 16, 2026, following missile and drone attacks across the UAE. (AFP/Getty Images)
“I think the regime is going to be increasingly desperate,” Waltz said, adding that Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Scott Bessent, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would use that pressure “to their advantage.”
In the UAE, Waltz met with President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and the foreign minister, describing the Emiratis as among the most active regional partners against Iran. “There is zero daylight,” Waltz said.
Waltz added the UAE has “both the capability and the will” to act, and said the Emiratis are prepared to take “short-term pain” to achieve the longer-term goal of blocking Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
The UAE has been hit hard during the war. Waltz said the country had taken “by far the most missiles, the most drones, the most hits,” but had moved quickly to repair damage and restore operations.
Aftermath of an Iranian missile strike on a Navy 5th Fleet installation in Bahrain is shown above. (Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Waltz also pointed to the Abraham Accords as a major factor in the UAE’s posture, saying the country’s growing partnership with Israel has become an “important shift” in the regional alignment against Iran.
Bahrain was another central stop on Waltz’s trip. The country hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Fifth Fleet and has been directly exposed to Iran’s attacks and threats around the Strait of Hormuz.
MIKE WALTZ PUSHES UN RESOLUTION TO STOP IRAN MINING KEY GLOBAL SHIPPING ROUTE
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz speaks at an emergency Security Council meeting on the situation in Iran at United Nations headquarters on Feb. 28, 2026 in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
“Until you go and really sit with them, you can’t appreciate what a strong ally they are,” Waltz said.
He said U.S. and allied teams in Bahrain are working with global shipping companies, local shipping officials, insurance companies and other maritime actors as the U.S. seeks to keep vessels moving through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints.
Waltz accused Iran of making a “phenomenally bad decision” by attacking its neighbors, including hotels, port facilities and energy infrastructure. During one visit to a petroleum site, he said he saw evidence that Iran had targeted fire suppression systems and first responders before striking storage tanks, in an apparent effort to maximize damage.
A billboard depicting Iran’s supreme leaders since 1979: (L to R) Ayatollahs Ruhollah Khomeini (until 1989), Ali Khamenei (until 2026), and Mojtaba Khamenei (incumbent) is displayed above a highway in Tehran on March 10, 2026. Iran marked the appointment of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to replace his father as its supreme leader on March 9, 2026. (AFP/Via Getty Images)
“The Iranians were deliberately targeting fire suppression systems,” Waltz said. “They were deliberately targeting first responders first.”
Despite the strikes, Waltz said allied air defenses have had “over a 90% success rate” in shooting down Iranian missiles and drones, with U.S. forces working “hand in glove” with Gulf partners.
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Waltz ended his trip in the United Kingdom, where he said officials have been strong partners at the U.N. Security Council on Iran. He acknowledged “hiccups” and “speed bumps” over basing and access issues, but said many of those concerns had been “smoothed over.”
“When we’re working to keep the Iranians isolated diplomatically,” Waltz said, “they’ve been very good to work with.”
Pope Leo XIV left the Canary Islands for Rome on Friday in a Falcon plane offered by Spanish King Felipe VI after his original aircraft suffered a technical glitch, according to reporters at the scene.
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The flight took off just after 6:00 pm and is expected to arrive in Rome at around 11:00 pm. The pope wrapped up a week-long visit to Spain on Friday.
The pontiff’s departure from Tenerife was delayed earlier on Friday by a technical problem with the plane which led him to disembark, according to an AFP reporter at the scene.
Spain’s King Felipe VI, who had just said goodbye to the pontiff on the runway, boarded the Iberia airline plane and both disembarked and returned to the terminal.
About 80 journalists remained on the jet, along with Vatican officials and members of the clergy.
“The departure of the papal flight has been delayed by half an hour due to a technical problem with the aircraft,” the communications service for the papal trip in Spain said in a brief statement.
The pilot initially told passengers there was a technical fault but later specified a “startup failure of the engine,” which he said was likely caused by wind conditions.
“Our maintenance team suggests towing the aircraft, positioning it into the wind, and attempting a new engine start,” the pilot told those on board.
“We will try this. If it is successful, we can depart.”
The glitch marked an unusual end to an otherwise successful trip to Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands.
Pope Leo XIV pressed his migration message and also inaugurated the new tower of the Sagrada Familia basilica.
It was the first time in decades that a papal flight had experienced a problem so serious that it required the pope to change planes.
Veteran Vatican reporters, some of whom were on the Iberia plane, recalled a few plane-related incidents during the pontificate of St. John Paul II.
During a 1986 return trip from India, John Paul II’s plane was forced to land in Naples because of a snowstorm in Rome. The passengers and pope took a special train back to Rome.
In 1988 en route to Lesotho, bad weather forced the late pope’s plane to land in South Africa, a country he had excluded from his African trip at the time because of apartheid. He was later driven into the kingdom.
Typically on papal trips, the Italian national carrier ITA Airways brings the pope to his destination and that country’s national carrier brings him home, with ITA sometimes doing the round trip if the voyage is particularly long or to a place that doesn’t have the capacity.
The flights are charters, with the pope, Vatican delegation and security occupying the front of the plane and the 70 or so journalists seated in coach.
Iberia had proudly provided video earlier in the trip of Pope Leo XIV seated in the cockpit, smiling broadly as the plane carried him from Madrid to Barcelona and then Barcelona to the Canary Islands.
In both cases, Spanish military aircraft provided an airborne escort, a sign of respect for visiting dignitaries and in one clip of the video the pope is seen waving to the escorting pilot.
Additional sources • AP, AFP
World
War, latest news. Trump: agreement with Iran to be signed soon. Tehran media: approval likely from top officials
Oxfam: ‘Over 540 settler attacks in the West Bank in the first few months of 2026’
A new analysis by Oxfam highlights the exponential rise in attacks by Israeli settlers and military forces in the occupied West Bank: in the first few months of 2026 alone, there were over 540 incidents and “in three years, the number of Palestinian civilians killed has exceeded that of the previous 17 years”, mainly children. According to the report, based on an analysis of data provided by the United Nations, “it is clear that Israel’s annexation plan is accelerating, with mass forced displacements, increased restrictions on Palestinians’ freedom of movement and an unprecedented escalation of violence by settlers and the army”. A plan of ethnic cleansing and annexation that, since 2023, has caused over 46,000 people to be displaced, the construction of over 925 barriers that impede the movement of 3 million people, and an unprecedented wave of violence that has claimed over 1,200 lives, including nearly 270 children. In particular, between 2006 and 2022, Oxfam points out, there were 1,036 victims, including 225 children, whilst since 2023 alone, 1,244 have been recorded, with 268 children killed. This means that, over the last 20 years, one in five killings involved a child, around 22 per cent. By contrast, in the first 17 years under review, 86 Israeli settlers were killed by Palestinians, including 12 children, whilst there were 43 victims, including 10 children, between 2023 and 2025. “The massacre of civilians we are witnessing is painful and disturbing,” said Paolo Pezzati, spokesperson for humanitarian crises at Oxfam Italia – “Whilst the eyes of the world were rightly focused on the genocide committed by Israel in Gaza, following the atrocities committed by Hamas and other armed groups in 2023, an unprecedented wave of violence was unfolding across the West Bank, which has now escalated into a systematic plan of ethnic cleansing. In this context, we are therefore launching an urgent appeal for all necessary diplomatic pressure to be brought to bear on Israel to halt the ongoing annexation plan,” concludes Pezzati.
US: third Iranian oil tanker breaching the blockade neutralised
The US Central Command stated on X that it had intercepted an oil tanker, the third in a week, accused of violating the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command says it struck the M/T Jalveer, flying the flag of Guinea-Bissau, “as it attempted to transport oil from Iran through the Gulf of Oman”. “A US aircraft fired two Hellfire missiles at the ship’s engine room after the crew repeatedly refused to obey orders from US forces,” Centcom said.
Meloni: the Council should reflect on the direction of relations between the EU and Israel
“Not only because of what is happening in Lebanon, but also given the situation in Gaza and the West Bank, it is clear that the European Council will need to reflect on the direction of relations between the European Union and Israel.” This was stated by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the Chamber of Deputies, in her address ahead of the EU Council meeting. “On this,” she added, “I would like, for once, to see a debate here that goes beyond the emphasis on facile polemics, which certainly yields an immediate return in terms of visibility, but does not reflect the strategic importance that the issue holds for Italia.”
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