The coordinated attacks by Israel and the US on Iran on Sunday resulted in the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with other senior leaders, confirmed Iranian media.
Although these airstrikes raise a big question around Iran’s air defence system and preparedness, the ongoing war for which Iran had been preparing for months has exposed critical gaps in its layered missile shields and radar networks, allowing US-Israeli operations like Epic Fury and Roaring Lion to penetrate deep and eliminate high-value targets such as Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran, which relied on China, had acquired a substantial arsenal of Chinese defense systems, yet none proved effective against the US-Israeli airstrikes.
As China’s largest trading partner, Iran now faces the question: will Beijing come to its ally’s aid, or merely observe the devastation from afar, as it has in past conflicts?
While the strikes reveal Iran’s air defence shortcomming it is also possible that US -Israel’s overwhelming powers outpaced Chinese Air defence systems.
When tensions between the US and Iran started to unfold, Iran significantly leaned towards Beijing to procure weapons. Several reports indicate that Iran bought China’s HQ-9B air defence system, upgrading its Russian S-300PMU-2.
The ongoing strikes have falied China obtained Air Defence systems, leaving Iran in rubble and even the death of its Supreme leader.
US-Israel strikes have ravaged over 20 of Iran’s 31 provinces, including the capital Tehran, while counterstrikes have disrupted vast swathes of the Middle East, forcing the closure of Dubai airport, one of the world’s busiest hubs.
Iran, on the other side, has broadened the conflict by targeting US allies Qatar and the UAE, signaling that alignment with the enemy invites severe repercussions.
The death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was in the assaults, prompting Tehran to pledge the “most ferocious offensive operation in history” for vengeance.
US President Donald Trump branded Khamenei “one of the most evil people in history” and vowed the offensive will persist “as long as necessary to secure peace across the Middle East and the world.”
