Comparing the militaries of Israel and Iran

In June, the Israeli military launched a preemptive strike on key strategic and nuclear targets in Iran. In response, Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missile attacks against Israel. The United States then carried out a B-2 bombing mission, which did significant damage to Iran’s most hardened and important nuclear facilities. But as hostilities between Israel and Iran temporarily conclude, it’s time to take stock of how the two countries compare militarily.

On paper, Israel and Iran rank among the top 20 global military powers, at 15th and 16th place, respectively, based on their weapons, manpower, and intelligence capabilities, according to the Global Firepower military rankings. Let’s take each military in turn.