31 relations between Israel and several moderate Arab states, including the Gulf states United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Israel’s move to USCENTCOM signaled a new era of engagement in joint exercises, military sales, operational planning, and intelligence sharing with regional partners. This integration aimed to enhance collective security against common threats, particularly Iran and its proxy groups in Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria. The operational benefits of this integration are significant. For example, missile defense systems under USCENTCOM’s unified command structure now allow for seamless coordination. If a US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer were to detect a missile launch over the Persian Gulf, it would then relay targeting data to Israel’s Arrow missile defense system. This cooperation significantly enhances the probability of interception success and provides a more robust and layered defense against Iranian missile and drone attacks. The consolidation of command and control under USCENTCOM also streamlines rules of engagement, making responses more predictable and effective. The often-exercised Israel-US air and missile defense integrationwas put to the test dramatically during two major Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel in 2024, Operations True Promise I and II. The first, on the night of April 13-14, 2024, involved a massive barrage of over 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and more than 120 ballistic missiles launched by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in collaboration with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, Lebanese Hezbollah and the Houthis of Yemen. The second attack, on October 1, 2024, consisted of an even larger salvo of approximately 180 to 200 ballistic missiles – primarily advanced models such as the Fatah-1 and Kheibar Shekan – targeting key Israeli military sites as well as civilian areas near Tel Aviv. Unlike the first attack, the second relied almost exclusively on ballistic missiles without drone or cruise missile involvement. Israel’s defense during these attacks was a coordinated, integrated multinational effort under USCENTCOM’s aegis. The IDF employed advanced missile defense systems such as Arrow 3 and David’s Sling to intercept incoming threats. Crucially, regional partners, such as Jordan, actively participated by intercepting missiles and drones that violated their airspace, while allies with global reach, including the US, the UK, and France, contributed air defense capabilities and intelligence support. Escalating tensions, combinedwith Iran’s relentless nuclear advancements, necessitated decisive action. Responding to these challenges, the Pentagon and the Air Force Research Laboratory, in collaboration with Boeing, undertook a decade-long initiative to develop new munitions capable of penetrating deep underground fortifications. Extensive modeling, testing, and simulation validated their approach, culminating in operational readiness specifically designed for Fordow’s geology and structural characteristics. The culmination of this meticulous planning was Operation Midnight Hammer. Building on the initial deceptions, Operation Rising Lion saw Israel rapidly consolidate air dominance over western Iran and execute a meticulously coordinated campaign to prepare the battlefield for deeper strikes With a preamble rooted in the counsel of both B. H. Liddell Hart and Sun Tzu, Israel initiated the conflict with a series of surprises that combined deceptions and traps. Operation Red Wedding, a meticulously timed assault, eliminated 30 top Iranian military commanders – including the head of the IRGC Aerospace Force – within minutes of the war’s onset, paralyzing Iran’s command structure before it could respond. At the same time, Operation Narnia struck deep within Tehran, assassinating nine senior nuclear scientists almost simultaneously at their homes. The Americans soon followed suit with their own deception in the hours leading up to Operation Midnight Hammer. The US sent a decoy group of B-2 bombers west over the Pacific while the actual strike force quietly flew east towards Iran, successfully diverting attention from the real attack. Building on the initial deceptions, Operation Rising Lion saw Israel rapidly consolidate air dominance over western Iran and execute a meticulously coordinated campaign to prepare the battlefield for deeper strikes. Israeli Air Force (IAF) assets launched an intensive Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) operation, employing prepositioned drone swarms and precision-guided munitions to overwhelm Iranian radar installations and communications nodes, effectively blinding early warning systems and fracturing command and control networks.
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