In a major escalation of hostilities, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) issued a statement clarifying that over 35 missile storage and launch facilities in Iran's Tiberias and Kermanshah provinces were damaged in coordinated strikes conducted by more than 25 Israeli Air Force combat aircraft.
On an X post, the IDF said, "This morning, the Air Force carried out a series of strikes against Iranian regime military targets in locations like Kermanshah and Tiberias in Iran, with pinpoint intelligence direction by the Intelligence Branch." The announcement continued that the operations hit over 35 missile-related sites using the support of over 25 fighter jets.
Building on the scale of operations, the IDF asserted that further strikes had been carried out against Iranian radar installations and missile facilities in Tehran and Isfahan in order to neutralize possible threats to Israeli aircraft and retain aerial superiority.
This attack increases the IDF's freedom of aerial activity over Iranian skies, after the breakthrough to Tehran," stated the IDF. "Fighter aircraft and aircraft of the Air Force continue to move freely in Iranian skies and strike military targets of the Iranian regime in western and central Iran. The IDF will continue to operate to expand freedom of air operations in Iranian skies and to establish air superiority."
In another round of operations during the night, over 50 Israeli warplanes were sent in to attack key sites related to Iran's nuclear weapons programs and its missile manufacturing capabilities in the capital Tehran. The IDF said these comprised cutting-edge research facilities and industrial complexes associated with missile component manufacturing.
Among the most important targets was the Iran Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND) headquarters, a long-standing institution tied to Iran's nuclear drive. "These compounds were constructed over decades and constituted the industrial gravitational center of the Iranian Ministry of Defence," said the IDF in its release.
It further added, "Among those attacked were military industrial facilities for the manufacture of missile components and facilities for the manufacture of raw materials for casting rocket engines.
The SPND complex, established by the late Mohsen Fakhrizadeh—commonly known as the designer of Iran's nuclear programme—was said to be struck in these airstrikes. "The headquarters of SPND is utilized for researching and developing cutting-edge technologies and weapons for the Iranian regime's military power," the IDF stated.
At the same time, Israel Defense Forces said they had recently destroyed three Iranian missile launchers allegedly ready for launch against Israel. One of the military commanders who participated in deploying the missiles was also said to have been killed during the operation.
The intense escalation of hostilities comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched "Operation Rising Lion" last Friday—a targeted military operation aimed at dismantling what Israel perceives as an existential threat posed by Iran's nuclear program. The operation prompted Iran to take quick retaliatory measures, and the conflict heightened fears of a broader regional war.
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