This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows damage after Israeli airstrikes destroyed buildings at an Iranian missile base near Tabriz, Iran, on June 17, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP
Iran has replaced the air defence systems damaged during its 12-day war with Israel last month, a senior army general said on Sunday (July 20, 2025) according to state media.
Israel launched an unprecedented surprise bombing campaign against Iran in mid-June, prompting Tehran to respond with drone and missile attacks.
Israelâs strikes dealt a significant blow to the Islamic republicâs air defences, which were repeatedly activated in the capital Tehran and across the country throughout the war.
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âThe Zionist enemy sought to destroy Iranâs defence capabilities, and some of our defence systems were damaged in that war,â Army operations chief Mahmoud Mousavi was quoted as saying by the official IRNA news agency.
âThe damaged defence systems have now been replaced,â he added.
Iranâs air defence network includes systems like the domestically built Bavar-373 and Khordad-15, designed to counter missiles and aircraft. Iran also installed Russiaâs S-300 air defence systems in 2016.
The war with Israel killed more than 1,000 people in Iran, while Iranian fire killed at least 28 people in Israel, according to authorities in each country.
Israelâs attacks targeted military infrastructure and nuclear facilities across Iran.
On June 22, Israelâs ally the United States also carried out unprecedented strikes on Iranian nuclear sites at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz.
The full extent of the damage to Iranâs nuclear programme remains unclear.
U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted the sites were âcompletely destroyedâ, but U.S. media reports have cast doubt on the severity of the damage.
On Friday (July 18, 2025), NBC News, citing a military damage assessment, reported that only one of the three sites was mostly destroyed.
A ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in effect since June 24, 2025.
After the truce was announced, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to prevent Iran from rebuilding its nuclear capabilities, raising the prospect of renewed conflict.
Earlier in July, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel was formulating a plan to âensure that Iran cannot threaten Israel again.â
Mr. Katz said the military had to maintain its âair superiority over Tehran, the ability to enforce restrictions on Iran and prevent it from rebuilding its capabilitiesâ.
Published â July 20, 2025 07:10 pm IST
