Tensions in the Middle East surged dramatically after Israel carried out a series of high-precision airstrikes on multiple Iranian military installations, including six strategic airports. The Israeli military confirmed that it targetted Iranian aircraft, missile storage sites, and radar systems across various regions of Iran.
The operation, described by Israeli officials as a significant blow to Iran’s military capabilities, involved over 15 Israeli fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). These aircraft reportedly launched more than 30 guided munitions, crippling infrastructure at airbases located in Tehran’s Mehrabad, Mashhad, Dezful, and Kermanshah, among other areas.
“The Air Force disrupted the ability to take off from these airports and the operation of the Iranian army’s air power from them,” the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated in a social media post.
In the capital city, Israeli jets destroyed a concealed surface-to-air missile battery, which the IDF identified as one of the most sophisticated systems in Iran’s defense network. According to Israeli intelligence, the missile system had been hidden in a storage facility and was targetted before its deployment.
Israel Strikes Iran Missile Sites After Precision Intel
Israeli authorities highlighted that the attacks were based on precise intelligence gathered by the IDF Intelligence Directorate. In a Telegram message, the military said, “Following precise intelligence from the IDF Intelligence Directorate, over 15 IAF fighter jets struck in the area of Kermanshah in Iran, neutralising a number of surface-to-surface missile launch and storage sites aimed toward Israeli territory.”
The military added that these missile sites were specifically prepared to be used against Israel. “Intelligence guidance from the Military Intelligence Service, in the Kermanshah area in Iran, destroying several launch and storage sites for surface-to-surface missiles aimed at the territory of the State of Israel,” the IDF stated in another release.
The Israeli military said it had achieved a temporary edge in the skies over Iran by degrading the country’s aerial capabilities. The damaged Iranian equipment reportedly included F-14 and F-5 fighter jets, AH-1 attack helicopters, and a refueling aircraft, which Israeli officials claim were intended for attacks against Israel.
In the midst of the aerial campaign, an Israeli drone was reportedly shot down in Khorramabad, western Iran. Iranian state media identified the unmanned vehicle as a Hermes UAV. The IDF later confirmed the drone loss, assuring there was “no risk of information leakage.”
Iran Fires Missile at Israel, Intercepted Without Casualties
Meanwhile, Iran retaliated by launching a ballistic missile toward central Israel. The Israeli military reported it intercepted the missile successfully, with no casualties or damage, as confirmed by Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency medical service.
The ongoing military confrontation follows a sequence of escalatory events, including a large-scale missile offensive by Iran targeting Tel Aviv and Haifa. That attack came in response to U.S. airstrikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities just a day earlier.
In another strike, separate from the airbase attacks, 10 members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were reported killed in Yazd Province by Israeli forces, according to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency.
Israeli officials stated that further operations are likely as part of their broader military campaign. “The IDF continues its efforts to degrade the Iranian Regime’s military capabilities and achieve aerial superiority over Iranian airspace in order to protect the State of Israel,” read a final statement from the military.
