The Arqab cruise missile as seen in a photo previously released by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), an umbrella group of Iranian-backed armed factions, attacked on May 2 two intelligence centers in southern and central Israel.
In two separate statements, the group said it launched Arqab cruise missiles at two “vital targets” in the southern city of Be’er Sheva and the central city of Tel Aviv, noting that the attack was carried out in response to Israel’s “massacres” against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
The Sabreen news channel on Telegram and other sources close to IRI factions later revealed that the targets were an intelligence center of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in Be’er Sheva and another run by the Mossad intelligence agency in the area of Glilot to the north of Tel Aviv.
Video footage released by the IRI showed the simultaneous launch of two Arqab missiles. The system appears to be a derivative of the Iranian-made Paveh cruise missile, which is powered by a turbo-jet engine and has a range of 1,650 kilometers.
Early on May 3, the IRI announced a third attack against a “vital target” near the Dead Sea in Israel. The group said that “suitable weapons” were used in the attack, which was also carried out in support of Gaza.
There were reports of drone infiltration warnings or interceptions in Be’er Sheva, Tel Aviv or near the Dead Sea in Hebrew media. Nevertheless, this does not mean that the attacks failed as the IDF has the power to censor all news on attacks and security incidents.
The IRI began launching attacks against Israel as well as against United States forces in Iraq and neighboring Syria on October 17 in response to the Israeli war on Gaza -which broke out just ten days earlier- and Washington’s unwavering support for it.
The group suspended attacks against U.S. forces last February after the death of three American troops in a drone strike on a base in Jordan, reportedly upon a request from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Nevertheless, it escalated attacks against Israel starting from March.
The group launched 16 attacks against Israel in March and at least 22 more during April. So far this month, five attacks have been announced.
Israel has not openly responded to the IRI’s attacks yet. However, it was blamed for several attacks that targeted Iranian-backed armed factions along the Syrian-Iraqi border after the start of the war in Gaza.
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