Iran Vs Israel Military Comparison

The drumbeats of war are sounding in West-Asia once again. Israel and Iran are in the middle of an escalating crisis. What would a full blown war between Iran and Israel look like? How do they compare militarily? Israel is one of West-Asia strongest militaries while Iran is one of the largest. Whose force is superior? What kind of fire-power do they have and who has a better shot at winning are some of the questions we look to decipher.

The Numbers

The numbers favor Iran. Iran has a huge population, at least, compared to Israel. It is home to an estimated 89 million people compared to Israel's population of about 10 million. On paper, its advantage Iran especially when it comes to the size of its military.
The Iranian armed forces are among the largest in West Asia with at least 580,000 active personnel and 200,000 trained reserve personnel. On the other hand, Israel has about 170,000 active personnel and 465,000 reservists. Iran also boasts of a larger navy, more tanks and armored vehicles and greater access to fuel.

Military Spending

So far, Iran seem to be having the upper hand but there is a catch. Raw data alone doesn't tell you the whole story. Quantitative factors play a role, yes, but so do qualitative ones like training and the advancement of technology. And the nation that comes out on top here is the one with more money which is Israel.
Iran has a GDP of $413 billion while Israel's GDP stands at $539 billion. This affects their respective military budgets. Reportedly, Iran's is at $10 billion whereas Israel has a military budget of $24.4 billion. However, the biggest advantage that Israel has is that its military is backed by the US. America provides Israel with $3.8 billion annual military assistance. This has allowed Israel to have more advanced weaponry with superior force readiness making it one of West-Asia most powerful militaries.

Technology

In terms of tank force, like the Zulfiqar series and the Karar MPT, Iran builds its own tanks. Usually they are based on outdated designs. Then there are T72s, T54s and T55s which are Iranian copies and considered inferior to the Israeli defense tanks like the Merkava MK4 which is one of the best armored tanks in the game.
Iran's navy is larger than Israel's but not as robust. Israel's navy has access to European and American suppliers and their advanced missiles and vessels.
When it comes to air power, contrary to the numbers trend, Israel's force is larger than Iran's. Its Arsenal includes 612 aircrafts to Iran's 551. Its primary fighting force consists of at least sixty-six F15s, a hundred and seventy-five F16s and twenty-seven F35 stealth fighters. It's also regarded as one of the best in the world; has sixty-four F4s and twenty- six F14s. In comparison, Iran's air arsenal is believed to be aging rapidly.

Quantity

Israel has superior quality which is why Iran is deploying another tactic on the battlefield: deploying weapons in large quantities. Iran has a substantial quantity of ballistic and cruise missiles. They are capable of striking targets about 2,000km away. This puts Israel well within its range and during the recent attacks that began on 13th April 2024, Tehran launched dozens of explosives-laden drones. They are unmanned aerial vehicles believed to be Shaheds, meaning "witness" in Farsi. They are long-range drones which have been called the AK-47s of Tehran because they are cheap, mass-produced and deadly.
Also to be noted is that Iran is not without allies. One of its most important is the Lebanese militia Hezbollah. According to Israeli intelligence, Hezbollah's arsenal contains more than 70,000 rockets and missiles including long-range and precision-guided missiles.
However, conventional forces aren't the only ones that can be used on a battlefield. Israel is believed to posses the ability to launch nuclear strikes from land, air and sea although it has never openly confirmed or denied possession of nuclear weapons.

Conclusion

So Iran has the numbers, Israel has the technology. While you cant predict a clear winner if this conflict escalates any further, there is no doubt about who's going to be the biggest loser; the region and its millions of people.