Missile penetration rates increased from 8% to 16%.

By Hezy Laing

According to the Wall Street Journal, Iran increasingly exploited vulnerabilities in Israel’s missile defense systems during the recent conflict between the two nations.

As the fighting intensified, Iran launched more sophisticated, long-range missiles from various locations within its borders.

Its attack patterns also evolved—employing staggered timing, a broader geographic spread, and multi-directional assaults—making interception more difficult.

These tactical changes led to improved missile penetration rates:

During the first half of the war, only about 8% of Iranian missiles breached Israeli defenses.

In the second half, that figure rose to 16%, according to data from JINSA (Jewish Institute for National Security of America).

On June 22, just two days before the ceasefire, 10 out of 27 missiles struck targets inside Israel.

While initial IDF reports claimed an interception rate of 90–95%, post-conflict assessments revised that figure to approximately 86% overall.

The Wall Street Journal quoted missile defense expert Yehoshua Kalisky of Tel Aviv University’s Institute for National Security Studies, who observed:

“Both sides are learning—we’re refining our shield while they’re improving their spear.”