The two powers have been exchanging barrages since Israel attacked Iran and killed many of the country’s top military leaders and scientists.

But Israel's formidable and sophisticated military forces - with an arsenal largely, but not exclusively, provided by the United States - are enabling it to overpower a much larger enemy. The BBC looks at the military balance in the latest war in the Middle East.

Israel and Iran exchanged fire for the fourth consecutive day on Monday, stoking fears of an all-out war with the potential to drag in others in the oil-rich region and force the US into a more hands-on stance.