Videos on social media appear to show the first use of Israel’s “Iron Beam,” a laser-based weapon. The footage shows rockets fired by Hezbollah being intercepted, although the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has yet to confirm the weapon’s use.
Ambassador Mike Huckabee, however, highlighted the weapon. “Hezbollah gives @IDF an opportunity to successfully test their new laser Iron Beam technology,” he wrote on X. “Been in shelter twice in last hour. Grateful for Israeli innovation this morning.”
The Iron Beam, developed by Rafael, is a 100kW-class High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS). “It quickly and effectively engages and neutralizes a wide array of threats from a range of hundreds of meters to several kilometers,” Rafael’s website says of the weapon. “Engaging at the speed of light, IRON BEAM has an unlimited magazine, with almost zero cost per interception, and causes minimal collateral damage. IRON BEAM can be integrated with a range of platforms and can become part of any multilayer defense system.” The company has developed Directed Energy systems for more than three decades and works closely with the Israeli Defense Ministry.
A prototype of the beam was reportedly used in October 2025 against Hezbollah.
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems CEO Yoav Turgeman told National Defense last year that artificial intelligence will be implemented into the system over time, which will allow soldiers to “decide where to intercept and how to intercept the target to minimize the collateral damage.”
“The whole philosophy behind the air defense in Israel is a layered air defense,” he explained, noting that Israel’s Iron Dome Tamir missile interceptors are “one of the layers, and the Iron Beam is one of the layers.”
