Claim: Scott Ritter, a former UN weapons inspector, claimed on social media that during the recent Iranian attack on Israel’s Nevatim air base, not a single Iranian missile was intercepted.
Fact: This claim is false. Evidence from multiple sources confirms that some Iranian missiles were indeed intercepted.
On 13 April 2024, Iran launched an attack on Israel, including the Nevatim Air Base. On the same day, Scott Ritter, a former UN weapons inspector, claimed in an X post (archive) that not a single Iranian missile was intercepted during the attack. In Pakistan, a screenshot of Ritter’s post along with an Urdu translation was widely circulated on WhatsApp.
Fact or Fiction?
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), five missiles hit Nevatim Air Base and four hit another base. However, many missiles either missed their target or were intercepted.
The IDF has stated that a significant number of Iranian missiles were intercepted and showcased the remains of a ballistic missile that was intercepted over Israel, with parts recovered near the Dead Sea. A Sky News video report titled “Iran attack: Israeli military displays downed Iranian ballistic missile” published on YouTube on 16 April 2024 shows this Iranian missile on display for journalists. Al-Arabiya also published a video report showing these missile remains on its Facebook page.
According to an investigative report published by The Intercept, American forces played a substantial role in neutralising the Iranian offensive, shooting down more than half of the drones and missiles before they could reach Israeli airspace. These defence measures included the US, UK, France, and Jordan.
Live coverage from Jerusalem also captured multiple interceptions, with explosions and bright flashes visible in the sky. CNN and other news agencies published footage from Jerusalem which showed the Middle Eastern nation’s air defence system intercepting Iran’s drones on 13 and 14 April 2024. This footage heavily indicates that at least some Iranian missiles were intercepted.
This report by BBC covering the Iranian attack notes, “Some 99% of the incoming barrage was intercepted either outside Israeli airspace or over the country itself, Rear Adm Hagari said.”
In light of this evidence, it is clear that the claim is false and Israeli and its allies successfully intercepted a portion of the Iranian attack, as confirmed by multiple sources and visual documentation.
Virality
Ritter’s post was widely shared on X (archive), receiving over 3 million views, 44,000 likes, and 14,000 reposts. An image of Ritter’s post along with an Urdu translation was widely circulated on WhatsApp, receiving the “forwarded many times” label.
The claim that not a single Iranian missile was intercepted was also published on Facebook dozens of times, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion: Several Iranian missiles were intercepted during the attack on Israel’s Nevatim Air Base. Multiple reliable sources and pieces of visual evidence confirm the interceptions took place, countering Ritter’s claim.
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Background image in cover photo: Al Jazeera
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