Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaves his Likud party faction meeting at the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in Jerusalem
Reuters

KEY POINTS

  • Iran has a history of reverse-engineering foreign technologies, including defense systems
  • Netanyahu stressed the grave concern over the Iron Dome system falling into the hands of Iran
  • In March, reports emerged that Russia was supplying specific US-made weapons, seized in Ukraine, to Iran

Israel's reluctance to transfer its state-of-the-art Iron Dome air defense system to Ukraine, despite appeals from US lawmakers and Ukrainian officials, could be attributed to concerns about Iran's effective reverse engineering capabilities.

Iran has demonstrated its ability to reverse engineer advanced weapons and develop indigenous defense systems. Israel's deep expertise in defense technology and the importance of maintaining its technological advantage raise concerns about sharing the Iron Dome system with a country where Iran could potentially acquire the technology.

In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarified the country's position by stating that they would not supply the Iron Dome air defense system or any other weaponry to Kyiv. This statement reinforces Israel's stance on withholding the transfer of advanced defense systems to Ukraine, including the highly regarded Iron Dome system.

Netanyahu highlighted the significant role played by the Iron Dome system in minimizing casualties during previous conflicts, emphasizing Israel's densely populated nature. The Iron Dome system's effectiveness, intercepting 95% of missiles targeted at population centers, has been instrumental in protecting Israeli civilians.

"I think it's important to understand that we are also concerned with the possibility that systems that we would give to Ukraine would fall into Iranian hands," he said, underlining the importance of safeguarding sensitive defense capabilities and mitigating unintended proliferation risks.

Netanyahu stressed the grave concern that if the Iron Dome system were to fall into Iran's possession, millions of Israelis would be left defenseless and exposed to significant danger. Israel considers Iran a major regional threat, and the potential use of Israeli defense systems against its own population is an alarming scenario.

According to Eurasian Times, Iran has a history of reverse engineering foreign technologies, including defense systems, and developing indigenous alternatives. This confirms that Netanyahu's concerns are well-founded.

Iran's Shahed-136 drones serve as examples of Iran's capability to acquire foreign technologies and incorporate them into its own defense industry. These drones are powered by German engines obtained illegally by Tehran almost two decades ago and later supplied to Russia

In March, reports emerged suggesting that Russia was supplying specific US-made weapons and equipment, seized in Ukraine, to Iran.