CNN reported that two missiles were fired, which is consistent with Russian SOP for the earlier Tor systems. Iran purchased 29 9K331 Tor-M1 systems built by Russia's Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant Kupol in 2005 for an estimated $700 million that were delivered in 2005-2006.
Photos of Iranian Tor-M1 9A331 combat vehicles on a GM5955 chassis, each of which carries 8 9М331 short-range air defense missiles. A standard Tor-M1 battery consists of 4 9M331 combat vehicles/TLAR as well as a command and control vehicle and support vehicles. 2/ 
They can also be augmented by Kasta 2E2 acquisition radars (according to SIPRI Iran has 2). Compared to longer-range systems, the Tor has its own integrated radar on its launchers (TLARs), which means individual vehicles can acquire targets and launch on their own. 3/
In the Russian military, Tor systems are brigade/division-level assets and part of the Ground Forces Air Defense Troops, not the Russian Aerospace Defense Forces, which controls Russia's long-range S-400 and S-300P variant air defense systems. 4/
They were designed to provide air defense coverage of Russian motorized rifle and tank units, but they can also provide point defense for key facilities against precision-guided munitions. Tor-M1 systems were spotted defending Iran's Natanz FEP. 5/
imp-navigator.livejournal.com/166428.html
imp-navigator.livejournal.com/166428.html
As a result of its superior counter-PGM and counter-UAV capabilities, Russia deployed its newer variant, the Tor-M2, to Khmeimim Airfield in April 2018 to supplement Pantsir-S1 and S-400 systems after the mass UAV attack on Khmeimim on NYE 2017, which damaged aircraft. 6/
One of the questions is whether Iran has a command and control system for its Tor-M1 batteries, like the Ranzhir, and if the Tor-M1 system in question was operating as a battery or just an individual TLAR? The Ranzhir can share data with other higher-level AD systems and radar.7/
With the Tor, unlike higher-level AD systems, each vehicle/TLAR can independently acquire a target and fire without requiring support from other vehicles. In addition, the senior officer in a Tor battery or operating a TLAR is much more junior than for the S-300PMU-2 regiment. 8/
In addition, Iran was likely very concerned that a single US air strike could destroy much of its air defense assets, so it likely dispersed them (which may have delegated launch decisions to lower level officers) and kept many of its radars turned off. 9/
That could have meant that these Tor systems had to rely only on their own radar systems, instead of more accurate and longer-range radars. The fact that this was from a Tor-M1 as opposed to an S-300PMU-2 makes it more likely that it was an accident. 10/
Video of a 2009 Iranian air defense exercise with Tor-M1 systems. 11/
There were reports in 2015 that Russia's Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant Kupol was negotiating with Iran to modernize its 29 Tor-M1 systems. 12/
ria.ru/20150129/10448…
ria.ru/20150129/10448…
I wonder if this was a battery commander or possibly an individual 9A331 combat vehicle/TLAR commander. This indicates that the operator likely didn’t have access to better radar data, and his system may not have been integrated with other AD systems. 13/
The radar signature of a 737 and a cruise missile are completely different. This would indicate that the “report” (not necessarilly from radar information) of incoming cruise missiles led the Tor commander to fire when he saw something on his radar. 14/
Since countering cruise missiles is likely the primary responsibility of Iranian Tor-M1s, they would have to fire quickly once their radar acquired a target, otherwise the missiles would hit their targets. It seems the lack of integration of Iran’s air defenses was critical. 15/
This speaks to why this could have happened with the Tor-M1 but not longer-range systems like the S-300PMU-2, which have better radar and C2. The Tor-M1 was built to operate independently even if other systems were destroyed. In this case, it operated without that support. 16/
An old but useful video of Russia's 1143 Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment then equipped with Tor-M1 and Osa air defense systems conducting a live fire exercise. 17/
vk.com/milinfolive?w=…
vk.com/milinfolive?w=…
And a look at Iranian crews operating the Tor-M1's radar system at that earlier training exercise. 18/
And a shorter clip of the exercise with Russia's 1143 Anti-aircraft Missile Regiment showing Tor-M1 systems engaging low-flying targets, including a launch of two successive 9M331 missiles. 19/
vk.com/milinfolive?w=…
vk.com/milinfolive?w=…
