CNN gets a rare look at the Iranian missiles and drones that hit Israel

Two weeks after the Middle East came to the brink of an all-out war, Tehran is keen to show the world that it is capable of fighting a wider conflict should it be faced with one.

“You have to ask the Israelis,” Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Brigadier General Ali Belali says with a smirk when asked how many ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired towards Israel in its April 14 strike. But he’s more than happy to show the missiles and drones Iran used in its first ever attack against Israel launched directly from Iranian soil. “It was a punitive measure,” Belali says, as he uses a laser pointer to indicate the missiles deployed, towering above him in the exhibit. Two weeks after the Middle East came to the brink of an all-out war, with Iran firing hundreds of projectiles toward Israel in retaliation for a suspected Israeli airstrike on an Iranian embassy compound in Damascus, Tehran is keen to show the world that it is capable of fighting a wider conflict should it be faced with one. On April 19, Israel responded with a suspected attack inside Iran’s borders. Both the Iranian and Israeli actions resulted in minimal damage and appeared by both sides to be aimed at restoring deterrence. That situation de-escalated, but the threat of war continues to loom large over the region as Israel’s offensive in Gaza grinds on. CNN was given rare access to an Islamic Revolutionary Guards exhibit that showcases Tehran’s air and space capabilities, including the types of weapons that were used against Israel last month. American media had never been allowed inside until now.