On Friday, May 17, the IDF attacked a series of locations associated with Hezbollah’s air defense array south of Sidon, around the towns of Najjarieh and Aaddousiyyeh. These attacks leveled buildings related to the array, where Iranian surface-to-air missiles were kept.
Videos published following the strike reveal the debris of an Iranian Sayyad 2 surface-to-air missile. According to Tal Inbar, a missile and space researcher, a comparison of the missile’s serial numbers to comparable missiles previously exhibited suggests that it is a Sayyad 2C.
The Sayyad 2 missile is a radar-guided missile, based on an American origin (RIM-66). Iran has displayed several variants of the missile (and Sayyad of the missile family in general) throughout the years, and its operational capabilities have been assessed differently. The operational range is expected to be between 65 and 100 kilometers, with a maximum interception height of 88,000 to 96,000 feet (27-30 kilometers).
The different variants of the missile are used in several Iranian air defense systems, including Tabas, Khordad 15, Khordad 3, and Ra’ad. These types of missiles are also used in the air defense systems of IRGC navy ships and the Iranian army (a detailed article on the IRGC air force will be released soon).
The fact that Hezbollah possesses such sophisticated capabilities is significant because it demonstrates the scope and intensity of Iranian backing for Hezbollah via the weapons corridor, as well as the significance Tehran places on delivering air defense equipment to Hezbollah.
At the same time, given Nasrallah’s comments regarding Hezbollah’s air defense capabilities, it is logical to believe that the presence of this missile in Lebanon shows that Hezbollah possesses complete air defense systems.
Given this, it is conceivable that the May 17 attack targeted a full system that includes a radar as well as command and control components.
Furthermore, according to our assessment, Hezbollah presently has a number of modern Iranian-made air defense systems capable of endangering Israeli Air Force operations in areas further than Lebanon.
Some of these capabilities were disclosed in recent months when Hezbollah downed two IDF UAVs with a 358 missile.
It is also worth noting that the Sayyad 2C missiles are not Iran’s most sophisticated missiles. According to the information we presently have, Tehran possesses more modern air defense systems and missiles with improved capabilities. It is probable that Iran transported such systems to Lebanon, and their presence will be discovered in the future. Another possible option is that, because to their more sophisticated capabilities and enhanced range, these systems have already been installed on Syrian soil, from where they can cover Lebanese territory as well as areas within Israel. This possibility is particularly feasible given Iran’s previous efforts to put defensive equipment on Syrian soil, as outlined in our earlier report regarding this issue.
