Starting at 3 AM Friday morning, Israel’s air force began a lethal barrage of airstrikes. Their targets were high-ranking military officials as well as intelligence agency headquarters located in Tehran. The strikes, which focused on Iran‘s air defense batteries, missile launch sites, and the critical Natanz facility where uranium is enriched to weapons-grade levels, signal a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions between the two nations.
The bombardment was confirmed by Israeli military spokesperson Effie Defrin. He said their aim was very focused on going as deep as eight meters below ground level of Natanz which is its underground facilities. The operation’s goal was to do severe, irreversible damage to Iran’s ability to take military action and its military infrastructure.
We caused a lot of destruction in this site, Defrin said, emphasizing the punitive plan driving the bombings. Even as the assault continued into Friday, Israel was well on its way to accomplishing total air superiority. This dominance allowed them to initiate new offensives, such as the one against Tabriz.
Iran’s full retaliatory answer to these airstrikes came through their proxy war in the region with the launching of over 100 drones on Israel. All of these drones were intercepted by Israeli defenses before mid-morning, avoiding any destruction from happening on their territory. This rapid response demonstrates Israel’s sophisticated aerial defense capabilities and surrounding situational awareness.
The types of airstrikes used showed a cold, lethal mix of air power with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets. According to intelligence insiders from Israel’s external security service, the Mossad, the operation included a mix of bold special forces style assaults. It drew upon prepositioned drones designed specifically to target and destroy Iranian air defense systems.
It should be noted that the drones used in these operations flew at a very slow speed. They didn’t spend less than seven hours flying to the nearly 700-mile range from Israel to Iran. Even given this limitation, the successful execution of these strikes demonstrates both Israel’s strategic planning prowess and decisive operational readiness.
Analysts from the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) confirmed that Israel’s airstrikes had successfully targeted Natanz, a strategic site in Iran’s nuclear program. They warned at the same time that Iran’s nuclear facilities are deeply protected. In order to utterly destroy such localities, only high-powered weaponry will do. It does so with bombs like the US GBU 57/B “bunker buster” bomb, which can only be deployed from US B-2 bombers.
Burcu Ozcelik, a research fellow at Rusi, noted the larger implications of these strikes. She added that the unprecedented scope of Israel’s assault “has the potential to fundamentally redefine the strategic landscape of the entire Middle East.” This is particularly troubling given the potential for such military actions to trigger a dramatic shift in regional and international power dynamics.
As the conflict escalates, it appears that Israel’s objective was not merely to demonstrate military might but to disrupt and dismantle Iran’s military chain of command. Reports indicate that high-ranking officials such as Maj Gen Mohammad Bagheri and Gen Hossein Salami may have been targeted during the strikes.
Iran’s government-owned media reported significant damage at the Natanz facility. Thankfully no one was killed by the attacks, added the semi-official agency, Mehr news. This statement reflects Iran’s attempt to downplay the impact of Israel’s military actions while asserting resilience in its defense.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah has stated it “will not initiate its own attack on Israel,” suggesting that while regional actors remain vigilant, they are currently refraining from escalating hostilities further.