In a revealing statement, Netanyahu’s “National Security” Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi acknowledged that Iran possesses “thousands of ballistic missiles,” a figure that vastly exceeds previous estimates of 1,500 to 2,000.

Speaking to “Israel’s” Army Radio, Hanegbi framed the development as a significant challenge, admitting, “This is not a battle that over the long term will be able to bring an end to the Iranian threat.”

Tehran fired more than 200 missiles at “Israel” on Friday and Saturday as part of its retaliation, many of which have penetrated “Israel’s” renowned air defenses, forcing the military to warn its people that the defenses were “not hermetic”, according to The Telegraph.

The Iranian airstrikes underscore the challenges faced by even the most advanced air defense systems in countering ballistic missiles, which travel at hypersonic speeds exceeding Mach-5, leaving few surface-to-air missile batteries capable of effectively intercepting them.