Israel’s Iron Beam laser system to enter operational service within weeks
Israel’s Iron Beam high-power laser interception system will enter initial operational service with the Israel Defense Forces by 30 December, officials announced on Monday.
Israel’s Iron Beam high-power laser interception system will enter initial operational service with the Israel Defense Forces by 30 December, officials announced on Monday.
Brigadier General Daniel Gold, head of the Defense Ministry’s Research and Development Directorate, confirmed the handover date at the International Defense Tech Summit in Tel Aviv.
“With development complete and a comprehensive testing program that has validated the system’s capabilities, we are prepared to deliver initial operational capability to the IDF on 30 December 2025,” Gold said. “The Iron Beam laser system is expected to fundamentally change the rules of engagement on the battlefield.”
‘Shoot down with light’
Yuval Steinitz, chairman of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and former Israeli finance minister, described Iron Beam as a “laser revolution.”
“For the first time in human history, we are able to shoot down missiles, rockets, even artillery shells, mortar shells, cruise missiles, and airplanes, not with projectiles but with light,” Steinitz cited by the Misgav Mideast Horizons Podcast.
Steinitz said that Lite Beam, a smaller version, already intercepted around 50 Hezbollah drones in October 2024.
"Each Iron Beam interception costs about $3 - compared with $50,000 for an Iron Dome missile and $5,000–$10,000 for enemy rockets - and operates at the speed of light, enabling immediate interception over launch areas and reducing shelter alerts," Jewish Insider cited Steinitz as saying.
“Combined with Iron Dome and David’s Sling, the system will push interception rates close to 100 percent against threats from Gaza and Lebanon,” Steinitz said, adding that lasers will not fully replace kinetic interceptors in the near term due to weather and saturation issues.
Israel currently operates a multi-layered missile defense network comprising Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow 2, Arrow 3 and the forthcoming Arrow 4.
The Iron Dome is a short-range system that intercepts rockets and artillery shells with a range of 4-70 km (2-43 miles). It uses radar to detect and track threats, and its interceptors destroy them mid-air.
Arrow 3 and Arrow 4 are long-range ballistic missile defense systems. Arrow 2 intercepts missiles in the upper atmosphere, while Arrow 3 targets them in space, making it effective against threats such as Iran’s ballistic missiles.
David’s Sling is a medium-range defense, intercepts tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones (40-300 km, 24-186 miles range).
Steinitz said Rafael likely might develop longer-range laser systems to counter missiles fired by Iran and Yemen’s Houthis in recent years.
Despite high rate of interception rate, some Iranian missiles penetrated Israel's multi-layered defense systems during a12-Day war in June.
Nasir Abedi, the former administrative and financial deputy of IIDO's Tehran office, had been convicted of rape and sexual abuse of one daughter and assault against another, according to the source who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.
Abedi, the source said, repeatedly assaulted one girl before she turned twelve, adding that a forensic examiner confirmed rape and the court upheld the findings.
But senior figures, the source added, intervened in the judicial process as the case progressed.
The charge relating to the second child was removed from the final verdict following internal pressure, leaving only one count of rape. The sentence of flogging “was never carried out because of outside interference,” the source told Iran International.
The organization, according to the source, also acted to block any public disclosures once details of the case circulated internally.
Potential death sentences
Under Iranian criminal law, sexual relations with close relatives constitute one of the gravest offenses, carrying a potential death sentence if penetration is legally established.
While cases involving coercion against children can result in capital punishment or other severe penalties, proceedings within family structures are often influenced by pressure from political, clerical or security institutions.
The timing of the revelations coincides with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, drawing renewed attention to domestic and sexual violence in Iran.
Advocacy groups and survivors have long argued that opaque judicial processes allow politically connected offenders to evade serious consequences.
Past cases echo similar pressures
The Islamic Republic has faced earlier allegations of interference in sexual-abuse cases involving figures.
A former provincial Islamic guidance official, Reza Seghati, received only a flogging sentence after a court classified his same-sex encounter in 2023 as “incomplete,” a decision critics said reflected extra-judicial pressure.
Another notable case involved Saeed Toosi, a prominent Qur’an reciter linked to the Supreme Leader’s office, whose accusers said judicial proceedings collapsed under political influence.
Abedi previously held positions in other religious foundations, including the Ghadir International Foundation, and in public statements had described the IIDO as an institution “serving Islam” and “affiliated with the leader.”
The organization identifies the promotion of what it calls “pure Islam” as its mandate and plays a central role in enforcing the compulsory hijab and state-endorsed social norms.
Transparency concerns
Although many sexual-violence cases in Iran remain confidential, available reports suggest incidents involving women and children have risen in recent years.
Activists say survivors often lack safe reporting channels and face family pressure and social stigma, while state bodies have at times prioritized institutional reputation over accountability.
The latest allegations highlight the structural obstacles confronting survivors who seek justice and the enduring role of secrecy in shielding powerful offenders.
