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The Air War Between Israel and Iran

2025/6/16
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State of the World from NPR

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Benjamin Netanyahu
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Chuck Freilich
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Felix Frisch
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Greg Dixon
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Greg Myre
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Hadil Al-Shalchi
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Ofer Dagan
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Yoav Laveed
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Greg Dixon: 以色列对伊朗发动空袭,旨在削弱伊朗的核能力,目标包括核浓缩设施、军事设施、军事指挥官以及核科学家及其家属。伊朗对以色列的袭击做出了强烈的回应,发射了数百枚导弹,其中一些突破了以色列的防御系统,击中了包括特拉维夫在内的多个城市的目标。 Hadil Al-Shalchi: 在特拉维夫市中心,我看到人们对遭受的破坏感到震惊,难以置信。街道上满是碎玻璃,一栋建筑完全被摧毁,到处都是警察。 Ofer Dagan: 我的照相馆被伊朗的导弹摧毁,这象征着以色列今天所处的混乱状态。我不信任政府告诉我的信息,我认为他们为了自己的需求组织现实。 Felix Frisch: 以色列从未经历过如此大规模的破坏,我们正在努力应对这种前所未有的局面。 Yoav Laveed: 即使这次是以色列发起的战争,也是伊朗政权强加给我们的。伊朗政权对以色列构成生存威胁,为了我们的安全,我们可能不得不付出社区被毁的代价。 Greg Myre: 以色列在去年10月的导弹交换中对伊朗的防空系统造成了实际损害,并且通过情报行动进一步摧毁了剩余的防空系统。以色列拥有顶级的美国制造的F-35战斗机,并在过去四天内轰炸了伊朗数百次,没有损失一架飞机。美国总统特朗普支持以色列,但不希望美国对伊朗采取进攻行动。以色列击落了大约90%的伊朗来袭弹道导弹,但仍有一些导弹击中了以色列,造成平民伤亡和炼油厂火灾。美国在以色列袭击伊朗时在地中海东部部署了两艘军舰,并且自去年年底以来向以色列派遣了两套顶级的防空系统(THAAD),由美军在以色列境内操作。 Chuck Freilich: 这根本不是一场对等战争,伊朗在各个层面都受到了沉重打击。以色列已经压制了伊朗的防空系统,并正在对剩余系统做同样的事情。 Benjamin Netanyahu: 以色列现在拥有一条通往德黑兰的“自由高速公路”。

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This message comes from the Nature Conservancy. Nature is common ground for everyone, and uniting to protect nature can help solve today's challenges and create a thriving tomorrow for future generations. Discover why at nature.org slash NPR. Today on State of the World, the air war between Israel and Iran.

You're listening to State of the World from NPR. We bring you the day's most vital international stories up close where they're happening. It's Monday, June 16th. I'm Greg Dixon. Israel and Iran are at war, and it is a war that has so far consisted mainly of attacks from the sky. In today's episode, we'll look at this air war and the ability of both sides to defend against it.

On Friday, Israel began airstrikes on Iran, an effort they say is designed to degrade Iran's nuclear capabilities. The strikes have been on nuclear enrichment sites, military installations, military commanders, as well as nuclear scientists and their families. And here's the sound of one of Israel's strikes. An Iranian television station was struck while the anchor was on air. ♪♪

Iran has responded fiercely to Israel's attacks. The Iranian military fired hundreds of missiles. And while many were intercepted by Israel's powerful air defense system, some have still made it through, hitting sites in a number of cities, including Tel Aviv. NPR's Hadil Al-Shalchi visited some of the neighborhoods hit in that city. Walking up a street in central Tel Aviv, there are people who are taking photos of the damage.

On the streets, there is shattered glass. There is a building that is completely gutted, burned. There's lots of police. Many look shocked. They seem like they can't believe that something like this could ever happen in the center, in the heart of Tel Aviv.

Ofer Dagan sits on the sill of a blown-out storefront, shattered glass at his feet. The store is called The Photo House. Established in 1940, it's been in his ex-partner's family for decades. His grandfather took iconic photos of a lot of important moments in the history of Israel, like the Declaration of Israel. Important Israelis like former prime ministers Golda Meir and Yitzhak Rabin also came to be photographed here.

Now the shop is destroyed after an Iranian missile hit close by. The doors blown out, the inside upside down. Those iconic photos strewn everywhere. 44-year-old Dagan says the shop reflects the chaos Israel finds itself in today. And the fact that I see Herzl there like this and Golda and all of like the...

Big names of the history of Israel all over the place. I feel it's symbolic to what we're in. Dagan says he believes that Iran may be a threat to Israel, but he's not sure the government is doing the right thing with its war. The thing is that I'm not trust what the government tells me in the past few years. So I feel they organize reality for their needs.

Just six miles south of Tel Aviv is the neighborhood of Bat Yam. It was one of the worst hits since the attack started. An Iranian missile struck a 10-story building here. At least eight people were killed, according to Israeli medics, and dozens were trapped in the rubble. For many Israelis, this level of destruction is new.

First responder Felix Frisch said the scale was just huge. It's something that we in Israel have not experienced. So the operational tempo is crazy, very hectic, something we're not used to and we're trying to cope. Bat Yam is a stronghold of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Yoav Laveed stands on the sidelines as men chant Netanyahu's nickname Bibi in support. Laveed's home was damaged in the explosion. What happened was a very strong boom.

There was a very loud boom, and a minute afterwards, we could hear the sirens of the ambulances, he says. 62-year-old Lavid says Israelis have been waiting for this war for decades. Even though we initiated it this time, it's a war that was forced upon us, he says. Lavid echoes what many Israelis feel, that the Iranian regime is an existential threat to their country.

For decades, Netanyahu has said that war was the only way to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Levitt says that the destruction in his neighborhood may be the price they have to pay for their security. There's no such thing as a cheap price, he says. Hadil Al-Shalchi, NPR News, Tel Aviv. Now, a look at the capacity of each country to defend against the other's attacks.

Israel says it has largely knocked out Iran's air defenses and now claims it can bomb much of Iran at will. In contrast, Israel still has strong air defenses in place, but Iran is unleashing waves of missiles nightly. And as we just heard, some are getting through with lethal results. NPR national security correspondent Greg Myrie has been watching this air war unfold, and he spoke to Juana Summers about it.

So, Greg, help us understand, how has Israel been able to defeat Iran's air defenses? So Israel inflicted real damage on Iran's air defenses when they had a missile exchange last October. And this time around, Israel says its Mossad intelligence agency secretly infiltrated Iran and was able to take out many of these remaining air defenses on Iran's western border. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel now has a, quote, free highway to Tehran.

Israel has top-of-the-line U.S.-made F-35 fighters. These and other planes have bombed Iran hundreds of times in the past four days, and Israel says it hasn't lost a single aircraft.

I spoke about this with Chuck Freilich, a former deputy national security advisor in Israel. This is anything but a tit-for-tat war. Iran is being hit extremely hard on all levels. It takes some time, but we've already suppressed the anti-aircraft systems and are in the process of doing the same thing to the

Now, if this becomes an extended battle, what does that mean for Israel's ability to hit Iran and particularly its nuclear sites? So Israel is hitting the nuclear sites, but the two most important ones are very difficult targets.

The Natanz uranium enrichment site is largely underground, and the Fordow enrichment site was built deep inside a mountain. Israel is certain to bomb them repeatedly, but it's just not clear at this point whether it will have enough firepower in its arsenal to badly damage or destroy them.

Israel may seek help from the U.S. to use its more powerful bunker-busting bombs on these sites. However, President Trump is supportive of Israel, but he says he does not want the U.S. in offensive operations against Iran. So this is not a big issue between them at the moment, but it could become one. Understood. Okay, well, what about Israel's air defenses? How are they holding up?

Yeah, Israel is shooting down about 90% of Iran's incoming ballistic missiles, and that's roughly what was expected. Several of these missiles hit in Israel on Monday morning, killing civilians in apartment buildings and causing a huge blaze at an oil refinery.

Israel has two of its own defense systems for ballistic missiles. One is called the Arrow. The other is David's Sling. Both are geared for these missiles that fly very high and very fast. The best-known system, of course, is Iron Dome, but that's designed for short-range rockets. Chuck Freilich says the military has found a novel use for Iron Dome in this conflict.

The Iron Dome has been deeply involved in shooting down the remnants of intercepted missiles, which in some cases can cause as much damage as the missiles themselves. Greg, last thing, how is the U.S. helping Israel with its air defenses? Yes, several ways. The U.S. had two warships in the eastern Mediterranean off the western coast of Israel when Israel launched its attack on Iran last Friday.

Now, those ships and the planes on those ships have been actively engaged in combating the Iranian attacks. Now, in addition, the U.S. has sent two top-of-the-line air defense systems to Israel since late last year. These are known as THAAD, and they are operated by U.S. troops on the ground in Israel. So the U.S. is deeply involved in Israel's defense, but at this point, not with its offense. NPR's Greg Myhre, thanks as always. Sure thing.

That's the state of the world from NPR. Thanks for listening. The House of Representatives has approved a White House request to claw back two years of previously approved funding for public media. The rescissions package now moves on to the Senate. This move poses a serious threat to local stations and public media as we know it. Please take a stand for public media today at GoACPR.org. Thank you.

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