Defending Israel Against the Iranian Missile Threat:
Lessons From the 12 Day War
Israel’s daring June campaign against Iran saw numerous successes, including the major degradation of Iran’s military assets and nuclear program. Receiving less attention but just as significant was another extraordinary achievement: the highly successful Israeli defense, with U.S. help, against approximately 550 Iranian ballistic missiles launched at Israel.
In a true trial by fire, Israeli defenses displayed their prowess, intercepting 86 percent of inbound missiles and leading the director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization to remark, “our expectations were lower than the results.” And, as a recent JINSA policy brief shows, Iran incurred massive financial costs by staging the attacks. Yet, Iran also adapted its tactics to better penetrate Israel’s layered air defenses and saw some success, as JINSA data recently cited by the Wall Street Journal revealed.
JINSA hosted an exclusive webinar breaking down the details of the defensive effort and lessons learned for the future. The webinar featured Lt Gen Thomas Bergeson, USAF (ret.), former Deputy Commander of U.S. Central Command and a 2023 JINSA Generals and Admirals Program participant, and JINSA Distinguished Fellow IDF MG (ret.) Amikam Norkin, former Commander of the Israeli Air Force.
JINSA Associate Director of Foreign Policy Ari Cicurel moderated the discussion.
IDF MG (ret.) Amikam Norkin IDF MG (ret.) Amikam Norkin joined JINSA as a Distinguished Fellow in February 2023. MG Norkin is the Former Commander of the Israeli Air Force and a former member of the Israel Defense Forces General Staff. As the IAF’s Commander, he was responsible for all of the IDF’s aviation operations, including all air and space defense and offense activities, turning the IAF to the IDF’s leading strategic arm and leading this critical organization in a rapidly changing environment with various multiple challenges. |
Lt Gen Thomas W. Bergeson, USAF (ret.) Lt Gen Thomas W. Bergeson was the Deputy Commander, U.S. Central Command where he oversaw military security cooperation and combat operations within the Arabian Peninsula, Northern Red Sea, Arabian Gulf, and Central and Southern Asian States. Lt Gen Bergeson was commissioned in 1985 upon graduation from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has commanded a fighter squadron, operations group, fighter wing, numbered Air Force and has held various staff assignments. |
Ari Cicurel Ari Cicurel has been Associate Director of Foreign Policy at JINSA since January 2025. His prior roles at JINSA include as Assistant Director of Foreign Policy from 2023-2025, Senior Policy Analyst from 2020-2023, and Policy Analyst from September 2018-January 2020. Ari is a graduate of the University of Michigan where he dual majored in Political Science and Judaic Studies. Ari received his Master of Arts in War Studies from King’s College London. |