Iran responded in kind, firing hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones toward Israeli cities like Tel Aviv, Haifa, Petah Tikva, Rehovot, and Bat Yam. Between three and fourteen Israeli civilians were killed and dozens more wounded; infrastructure damage ranged from residential buildings to power plants and oil refineries. The latest raids on June 16 killed three Israelis and injured nearly 50 others . Israeli air defenses, bolstered by U.S. assistance, intercepted the majority of these threats. According to Israel Defence Forces, more than 170 targets and over 720 military infrastructures. The death toll from Israel’s attacks on Iran has risen to 224. And more than 10 dead in Iranian ballistic missile attacks in Iran. 

Lets understand the weapons that both sides have used in the last three days and which are expected to be used in coming days, if conflict continues. 

Weapons used by both sides

From Iran’s side, the bulk of their response has relied on medium-range and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. Known types include Emad and Ghadr‑1 MRBMs, the advanced hypersonic Fattah‑1 (Mach 13–15), and the solid-fuel maneuverable Kheibar‑Shekan (range ~1,450 km). It is being speculated that Iran launched hundreds of Shahed-type kamikaze drones alongside ballistic missiles, enhancing saturation effects. Open sources has cited use of of the Haj Qaseem ballistic missile, named after General Qasem Soleimani, the IRGC Quds Force commander killed in a 2020 U.S. drone strike. The Haj Qaseem carries a MaRV (Maneuverable Reentry Vehicle) — capable of adjusting its flight path in terminal phase Iranian launch doctrine employs a mix of fixed, mobile, and subterranean launchers to complicate targeting. Meanwhile, Israel has invoked its full layered air-defense network: Iron Dome for short-range threats, David’s Sling and Arrow‑2/-3 for medium to high altitude missiles, with U.S. Patriot batteries and Aegis-capable vessels reinforcing the shield. Israel has also carried out precise air and missile strikes using fighter jets, cruise missiles, and UAVs to neutralize Iranian launch sites and command hubs. Israel has used more than 200 aircraft, including F-35 and F-16 during Operation Rising Lion to destroy Iranian defence systems and nuclear facilities. 

As conflict enters into a new phase where Israel has started targeting energy and oil infrastructure of Iran, such as Israel hit its largest oil depot Pars last night. Iranian response also expected to intensify. It will be interesting to see the available options that Iran has, which have the ability to reach Israeli territory.  

Other missiles Iran could deploy next

Looking ahead, Tehran has a broader missile inventory that could be brought into play:

1. Shahab‑3 variants: With ranges up to 2,000 km and warheads of 700 kg, these older but reliable MRBMs could strike deeper strategic sites in Israel. 
2. Kheibar‑Shekan 2: A next‑gen, solid-fuel, maneuverable missile inheriting the same ~1,450 km range—reducing launch prep time and improving survivability against missile defenses.
3. Cruise missiles: Likely Iranian-designed variants (e.g. Soumar–type) could be used for lower-altitude, terrain-following assault to bypass high-tier interceptors. These would complement missile salvos by stretching Israeli defenses.
4. Massed drone swarms: A greater number of Shahid‑type drones in saturation attacks could overwhelm point-defense systems.

Militarily, Iran’s deployment of advanced hypersonics and precision terminal-guided ballistic missiles suggests an intent to degrade air-defense and key infrastructure simultaneously. However, logistic constraints and Israel’s superior SAM pedigree (Arrow 3 high-exo intercepts, plus integrated US assets) may blunt future strikes .

A Constraint in the Execution

Last night, roughly 30 ballistic missiles were launched at Israel, with only three impacts being reported, as opposed to the first night when Iran launched between 175–200 missiles and last night when they launched 75–100 missiles against Israel. However, don’t let these numbers fool you, Iran is not running out of missiles, but it does suggest they may be running out of launchers for these medium to intermediate-range ballistic missiles that are actually able to reach Israel. This could be possible due to the intensive attack from Israel on military infrastructure inside Iran. 

It also suggests severe issues in command-and-control caused by the large number of senior military officials, specifically the entire top chain-of-command for the IRGC’s Aerospace Forces, that have been eliminated so far by Israel. 

Strategic outlook

From a defense-expert viewpoint, Iran’s escalation curve shows a shift from asymmetric response to direct state-on-state conflict. The use of ballistic missiles such as Haj Qaseem solid-fuel missiles signals intent to neutralize Israeli defenses outright. Israel, by targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile production, aims to limit Tehran’s long-term strike capability. The next wave could see Iran use deeper-strike MRBMs (Shahab‑3) and lower-altitude cruise missiles to complicate intercept calculations. For Israel, this means accelerating deployment of Arrow-4 (under development) and integrated electronic warfare against drone swarms.

In summary, both sides now possess strike-and-counterstrike capability at scale. Iran is poised to escalate tactically through missile diversification. Israel has taken over the Iranian air-space due to their air superiority. Israel’s defence depends on sustaining layered missile defenses and striking Iranian launch infrastructure preemptively—an uneasy balance that carries risk of broader regional war unless de-escalation occurs.