Israel vs Iran
Israel
Wins 12/25
Iran
Wins 13/25Iran leads on 13 of 25 tracked categories.
Israel holds the stronger Global Firepower rank (#15).
Israel and Iran are compared here on public military strength data, with Israel holding the stronger Global Firepower rank over Iran. The sharpest gap is in defense budget, Israel at 48,300,000,000 versus 7,400,000,000. Some figures for Iran are state-influenced or opaque, so treat this comparison as directional.
Israel: Undeclared nuclear arsenal. Around 90 warheads is a FAS estimate. Israel neither confirms nor denies.
Iran: No assembled nuclear weapon. IAEA notes a 60% HEU stockpile, not weaponized. Budget and inventory figures are also opaque.
Full data
Spec sheet
| Israel | Iran | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| GFP power index | 0.2707 ✓ | 0.3199 |
| GFP rank | 15 ✓ | 16 |
| Economy | ||
| Defense budget (USD) | $48,300,000,000 ✓ | $7,400,000,000 |
| GDP (USD) | $610,778,000,000 ✓ | $362,682,000,000 |
| Defense spend, % of GDP (%) | 7.8 % | 2 % |
| Population | 10,252,800 | 87,134,000 ✓ |
| Personnel | ||
| Active personnel | 169,500 | 610,000 ✓ |
| Reserve personnel | 465,000 ✓ | 350,000 |
| Paramilitary | 35,000 | 220,000 ✓ |
| Nuclear | ||
| Warheads, total | 90 ✓ | 0 |
| Warheads, deployed | 0 | 0 |
| Nuclear status | Yes | No |
| Delivery legs | air, land, sea | N/A |
| NPT status | non-signatory | signatory (non-nuclear-weapon state) |
| Air power | ||
| Total aircraft | 597 ✓ | 551 |
| Fighters | 239 ✓ | 188 |
| Attack aircraft | 45 ✓ | 21 |
| Transport aircraft | 14 | 86 ✓ |
| Helicopters | 127 | 129 ✓ |
| Attack helicopters | 48 ✓ | 13 |
| Land power | ||
| Tanks | 1,300 | 2,675 ✓ |
| Armored fighting vehicles | 62,380 | 75,939 ✓ |
| Self-propelled artillery | 323 | 424 ✓ |
| Towed artillery | 171 | 1,803 ✓ |
| Rocket artillery (MLRS) | 228 | 1,550 ✓ |
| Naval power | ||
| Total naval assets | 82 | 109 ✓ |
| Aircraft carriers | 0 | 0 |
| Submarines | 6 | 25 ✓ |
| Destroyers | 0 | 0 |
| Frigates | 0 | 7 ✓ |
| Corvettes | 7 ✓ | 3 |
| Patrol vessels | 66 ✓ | 21 |
Frequently asked questions
Which has more nuclear warheads, Israel or Iran? +
Israel has more nuclear warheads, an estimated 90 in total stockpile.
Which has the bigger defense budget, Israel or Iran? +
Israel has the bigger defense budget, at an estimated 48,300,000,000 USD.
Which has more tanks, Israel or Iran? +
Iran has more tanks, an estimated 2,675 main battle tanks.
Which has a bigger air force, Israel or Iran? +
Israel has more total aircraft, an estimated 597.
Which has a bigger navy, Israel or Iran? +
Iran has more naval assets, an estimated 109 vessels.
Which has the higher Global Firepower rank, Israel or Iran? +
Israel holds the stronger Global Firepower rank, at number 15 worldwide.
Where does this military comparison data come from? +
Sources: Global Firepower 2026, SIPRI 2025, FAS 2026, IMF. Figures are public estimates. Every figure is a public estimate, not classified data, and can vary between sources.
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Sources: Global Firepower 2026, SIPRI 2025, FAS 2026, IMF. Figures are public estimates.