The strike that changed the geometry of war
Israel's September 2025 strike on Doha and February 2026 attack on Tehran demonstrated a new military capability using air-launched ballistic missiles that avoid traditional airspace penetration. These strikes relied on advanced C7ISR systems and hypersonic-speed missiles that challenge existing air defense technologies. The operational model marks a shift in aerial warfare by leveraging speed, trajectory, and integrated intelligence to bypass conventional defenses.
- ▪Israel conducted a strike on Doha on September 9, 2025, targeting a political meeting despite no active battlefield or front line.
- ▪The strikes used air-launched ballistic missiles, such as the Silver and Blue Sparrow variants, launched from outside sovereign airspace.
- ▪These missiles follow a suborbital trajectory, re-entering at hypersonic speeds and steep angles that severely limit air defense response times.
- ▪The operational success relied on a fused C7ISR architecture integrating intelligence, cyber, and command systems for precision and speed.
- ▪Existing defense systems like THAAD and Patriot struggle to counter such threats due to the physics of hypersonic terminal descent.
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OPINIONOPINION, Opinion|US-Israel war on IranThe strike that changed the geometry of warIsrael’s attacks on Doha in September and Tehran in February demonstrated a new capability that may make warfare more unpredictable.By Nawaf ObaidSenior Fellow at the Department of War Studies at King’s College London.Published On 17 May 202617 May 2026ListenListen (8 mins)SaveClick here to share on social mediashare-nodesSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoIsrael carried out a strike on Doha on September 9, 2025 [Screenshot via Reuters]On September 9, 2025, Israel struck Qatar. There was no battlefield, no front line. Instead, the target was a sovereign state hosting negotiations that Israel itself was involved in.
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