Israel’s missile defense system under scrutiny after Iran attacks nuclear weapons research facility

Few places in Israel are better protected than its main nuclear research facility and reactor, eight miles from the town of Dimona in the southern Negev Desert.So when two Iranian ballistic missiles evaded the country’s vaunted air defenses and hit residential neighborhoods in Dimona and another nearby city, Arad, on Saturday night, even battle-hardened Israelis seemed unnerved by the scene of destruction.Perhaps as shocking as the damage caused was the military’s admission that it had attempted to intercept two missiles, launched about three hours apart. The failures raise questions about Israel’s multi-layered missile defense system and its ability to protect citizens.The United States has renewed concerns that the military may delay the launch of its most expensive and advanced missiles, following reports that its stockpile may have been depleted during last year’s 12-day war with Iran. Israeli military officials said they were investigating the problem but were tight-lipped on details.Visiting the site of the impact on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was a “miracle” that no one was killed. He urged Israelis to use the time provided by warnings of incoming missiles to get to bomb shelters. “Don’t become complacent,” he warned. He offered no explanation for the interception failure and made no mention of the air defense systems that Israel and the United States have invested heavily in for decades. Although the military believes that the interception rate of Iranian ballistic missiles is more than 90%, officials and experts emphasize that defense measures can never be 100% sealed. “Dimona is protected by multiple layers of defense systems, both Israeli and American,” said reserve Brigadier General Ran Kochav. “But nothing is perfect. The operation failed.” Brigadier General Effie Devlin, the military’s chief spokesman, said on Sunday. Now