Israel-Iran military strength

Shadow warfare between Israel and Iran increasingly threatens to spill over into open conflict. Iran avoids state-on-state hostility, instead pursuing asymmetrical warfare through proxy armies

ISRAEL    Defence spending  IRAN
$23.41bn                    $6.85bn

Active personnel
169,500                        587,000*

Ground forces       126,000        Ground forces 150,000
Air forces          34,000        Air Forces     37,000     
Navy                 9,500        Navy           18,000

Main battle tanks
2,200                               4,070
Armoured vehicles 7,000           Armoured vehicles 8,500

Combat aircraft
339                                334
Including 50 F-35s

Warships                            101 including 19 submarines
67 including 5 submarines 

Ballistic missiles
≈ 90 Jericho III Intercontinental    3,000+
Ballistic Missiles


*Includes Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: Upward of 190,000 troops plus Basij paramilitaries. Proxy armies include Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Shia militaries in Iraq amounting to estimated 200,000 fighters


Sources: International Institute for Strategic Studies, SIPRI Pictures: Getty Images © GRAPHIC NEWS