Tel Aviv / Tehran — Israel’s air defenses were stretched to breaking point after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps unleashed a massive barrage of its new “Khaiber Power” ballistic missiles, in what Tehran claims is the first strike designed specifically to pierce the Iron Dome shield.

Just after midnight, sirens screamed across central and northern Israel as radar screens lit up with dozens of incoming tracks from deep inside Iran. Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow batteries fired at full capacity, but Israeli commanders admit the sheer volume and speed of the Khaiber missiles — some reportedly carrying maneuverable re‑entry vehicles and decoy submunitions — briefly overwhelmed the system. Several warheads crashed near military logistics hubs, fuel depots and the outskirts of residential neighborhoods, sending fireballs and shockwaves across the night sky.

In Tehran, IRGC generals appeared on state TV in front of missile mock‑ups, boasting that “the era of the Zionist shield is over” and claiming “dozens of direct hits” on strategic targets. They described Khaiber Power as a new generation of missile built to change trajectory mid‑flight and confuse Israeli radars. Crowds in Iranian cities celebrated in the streets, chanting that Tel Aviv had “tasted Khaiber’s flame.”

Israeli officials, while confirming damage and casualties, insist most missiles were intercepted and vow a “crushing, calculated response” against launch sites and IRGC command centers. Defense analysts warn that if Iran’s claims about its Khaiber system are even partly true, the psychological balance has shifted: every future siren over Israel will carry a new, sharper fear that the next wave might punch through where the last one failed.