Iran attack a ‘wake-up call’ for China on electronic warfare and intelligence
Retired PLA colonel urges China to watch out for ‘internal infiltration and intelligence leaks’ and boost ‘security around critical targets’
In weekend air strikes against Iran that killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the US struck over 1,000 targets with an array of advanced weaponry, including Tomahawk cruise missiles, stealth fighters and bombers.
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Iran’s Supreme leader Khamenei confirmed dead after US-Israeli strikes
Beyond conventional aerial weapons, the US military operation has underscored the pivotal role of electronic warfare, intelligence gathering, and AI-assisted operations in modern warfare.
Following the 12-day war with the US and Israel in June – which US President Donald Trump said “obliterated” Iranian nuclear sites as well as missile bases, radar installations and command structures – Tehran had sought to boost its air defences with Chinese-made HQ-9B and Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile systems.
However, these systems were seen as incapable of defending Iranian airspace after they failed to intercept the US and Israeli air strikes that killed Khamenei and other senior Iranian political and military figures.
A similar pattern was observed during the US military strikes on Venezuela in January, when American forces launched an operation that captured its leader, Nicolas Maduro. US forces had then neutralised the Venezuelan air-defence system using EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft.