On Friday night, Iran launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at Israel, with unconfirmed reports suggesting some struck Tel Aviv directly; while the IDF claims to have intercepted the majority, residual projectiles impacted civilian infrastructure, necessitating the treatment of fifteen casualties at Tel Aviv hospitals.

Since the commencement of hostilities on October 7, 2023, Israel's air defense network has faced an unprecedented crucible in countering the barrage of ballistic missiles emanating from disparate geopolitical actors; while the United States has augmented intercept capabilities against Iranian projectiles via ground-based assets, Israel has, for the preceding year, autonomously managed the preponderant share of its defense through a sophisticated, multi-tiered architecture capable of autonomous deployment against incoming ordnance threatening densely populated areas and strategically vital infrastructure, comprising the "Arrow" system for exoatmospheric interception, "David's Sling" for medium-range engagements, "Iron Dome" for short-range rocket counteraction, and the nascent "Iron Beam" system predicated on directed-energy laser technology.