Key Points and Summary – For the first time, an Israeli military official has acknowledged that “very few” of their military sites were hit by Iranian missiles during the recent 12-day war, though the damage was minimal and the bases remained functional.

-This admission, reported by Reuters, provides a more nuanced picture than the official silence maintained by the IDF.

-While Israel’s air defenses intercepted the vast majority of the 500+ missiles Iran launched, the confirmation that some got through underscores the challenge of defending against large-scale barrages, which still managed to kill 28 civilians and damage thousands of homes.

The Secret Toll of the 12-Day War: Iranian Missiles Hit Key Israeli Bases

When the United States bombed Iran’s main nuclear facilities on June 22, Tehran’s response was largely symbolic.

Iran targeted the American Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar with 14 short- and medium-range missiles – the same number of GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs dropped by American B-2 stealth bombers during Operation Midnight Hammer.

Iran publicly praised the retaliatory strike as a “victory,” yet no damage occurred at the site. U.S. officials confirmed that Tehran had warned the United States and Qatari authorities ahead of the strikes, allowing personnel to evacuate and giving U.S. forces more time to prepare to intercept the missiles. Rather than attempting to escalate the conflict, particularly in light of U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning that continued aggression would prompt even more severe responses from the U.S., Iran ordered the strikes for show.

Hitting back at the United States allowed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to claim “victory” against Israel, and tell the Iranian people that Iran had “slapped” the United States.

Iran Was Able to Land Missiles on Israel 

In reality, the strikes were among the least impressive of the entire conflict. Between June 13 and 24, Iran launched 550 missiles at Israel and more than 1,000 drones. Its attacks claimed the lives of 28 civilians, and wounded more than 3,000 people.

According to the Israeli Health Ministry, a further 3,238 people were hospitalized. The strikes caused serious damage, despite the vast majority of Iranian projectiles being intercepted by Israeli air-defense systems. Israel also claimed a 99% success rate intercepting drones that posed a threat to the country.

For weeks, Israeli officials have been tight-lipped about how much damage Iran did or did not do to its military sites – but that changed this week when an Israeli military official confirmed some details to Reuters.

What Damage Did Iran Really Do?

According to an unnamed Israeli official, Iranian airstrikes in June did hit some Israeli military sites.

The comments are the first public acknowledgement that any of the country’s military facilities were hit by Iranian missiles, most of which were reportedly aimed at civilian infrastructure.

Speaking under the condition of anonymity, the official said that “very few” of their sites were hit, adding that even the sites that were damaged remained functional after the attacks.

The official refused to provide additional details, including what military sites were hit, the extent of the damage caused, or the projectiles that caused the damage.

The official also failed to confirm whether Israeli forces tried and failed to intercept the projectiles, which were likely drones or missiles.

While the refusal to reveal the details of Iranian strikes has sparked some speculation that Iran caused more damage than they would like to admit, it is common practice for the Israeli military to prevent the publication of missile strike locations or damage caused to sensitive military sites.

About the Author: Jack Buckby

Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.

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