Top US officials hosted Israeli counterparts amid concerns that a full-on war with Hezbollah would see Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system overwhelmed by the Lebanese resistance group’s rocket arsenal, US and Israeli media reported.
Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer’s meetings were hosted by US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on Thursday, The Times of Israel reported.
Earlier on Thursday, the CNN quoted three US officials as saying that Washington has serious concerns that in the event of a full-blown war between ‘Israel’ and Hezbollah, the Lebanese group “could overwhelm Israel’s air defenses in the north.”
The fears, which the US officials said have also been communicated to them by the Zionist entity, that the Iron Dome could be vulnerable to Hezbollah’s vast arsenal of missiles and drones are rising, according to the CNN.
“We assess that at least some” Iron Dome batteries “will be overwhelmed,” a senior administration official told the US news network.
An Israeli official said that would be more likely if Hezbollah conducted a large-scale attack principally using precision guided weapons, which could be challenging for the system to defend against.
The two US officials said that Israeli officials have told Washington they believe the Iron Dome could be vulnerable, particularly in northern ‘Israel’, and have been surprised at the sophistication of Hezbollah’s strikes to date.
A primary concern is Hezbollah using a large number of precision guided munitions and missiles, the CNN quoted a source familiar with the threat as saying.
Hezbollah annihilate another battery of Israel’s infamous “Iron Dome”, like shooting fish in a barrel.
The Israeli occupation forces are good at blowing up houses and looting women’s clothes but not so good at fighting a real war. They are being humiliated like this every day. pic.twitter.com/Wrh9LtfgF9
— Richard Medhurst (@richimedhurst) June 6, 2024
Source: CNN and The Times of Israel
