Israel eliminates one-third of Iran’s ballistic missile launch systems
The Israeli Air Force now holds complete control over Iran air space and has eliminated roughly one-third of Iran’s ballistic missile launch systems and significantly disrupted Iran’s ability to carry out large-scale attacks on Israel, according to IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin.
Speaking at a press conference, Defrin detailed that Iran launched two major barrages since last night, firing 65 ballistic missiles and deploying dozens of drones. Most were intercepted, but three missiles struck Israeli territory, resulting in eight fatalities.
He added that Iran had originally intended to launch at least twice as many missiles overnight, but Israeli preemptive action curtailed that effort.
In one coordinated strike, Israeli jets destroyed 20 ballistic missiles in Iran before they could be launched.
In addition to that operation, around 50 Israeli fighter jets and drones hit multiple targets, including missile storage facilities and command centers where Iranian forces were preparing further launches.
Since the beginning of the conflict, the IDF reports that over 120 Iranian missile launchers have been destroyed—approximately one-third of Iran’s pre-conflict arsenal.
The military also confirmed that airstrikes in Isfahan overnight hit more than 100 military assets.
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin stated that Israeli forces are actively targeting Iranian teams responsible for launching missiles at both Israel and Israeli aircraft.
He emphasized that the military is now achieving rapid, real-time strike capabilities against threats in Iran—similar to the swift-response operations already seen in Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank.
Defense Minister Israel Katz emphasized that Israel has no intention of targeting Iranian civilians in Tehran, even as the IDF readies further strikes in the city.
“I want to make it absolutely clear: we do not aim to harm the people of Tehran, unlike the brutal actions of their dictator against Israeli citizens,” Katz said in a statement.
He added that while Israel’s focus is on regime and military sites, residents of Tehran may need to evacuate areas near those targets due to the nature of the upcoming operations.
IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin announced in a press briefing that the Israeli Air Force now holds complete control of the skies over Tehran.
The Israeli Air Force has also eliminated four top Iranian intelligence figures in a targeted airstrike in Tehran yesterday, the IDF confirms.
Fighter jets struck a building in the capital where key officials from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were meeting.
Among those killed were Brig. Gen. Mohammad Kazemi, head of the IRGC’s Intelligence Organization, his deputy Hassan Mohaqiq, as well as the intelligence chief and deputy of the IRGC’s Quds Force.
According to the IDF, these individuals were deeply involved in shaping Iran’s intelligence strategy and coordinating terror operations against Israel, Western nations, and regional targets.
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