By Gloria Ogbonna
In what it described as the largest aerial assault in its history, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) dispatched nearly 200 fighter jets on Saturday in a sweeping, near-simultaneous operation targeting roughly 500 missile and air defense sites across Iran.
Israeli military officials said the unprecedented flyover marked a turning point in the ongoing confrontation, significantly weakening Iran’s missile capabilities while expanding Israeli air superiority deep into Iranian airspace.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the massive sortie was the result of extensive planning and high-grade intelligence gathering. In an official statement, the military said hundreds of aircraft were synchronized in a coordinated assault that dropped large numbers of munitions on surface-to-surface missile launchers, ballistic missile storage facilities, and anti-aircraft defense batteries across western and central Iran.
“This is the largest strike sortie in the history of the Israeli Air Force,” the IDF stated, emphasizing the scale and complexity of the mission.
Among the most significant targets was a ballistic missile installation near Tabriz in western Iran. The IDF said the site had been preparing to launch dozens of missiles toward Israeli territory. By striking the facility, Israeli officials claim they eliminated an immediate threat to both military aircraft and civilian population centers.
Military leaders explained that the operation unfolded in two major waves. The first wave focused on neutralizing radar systems and anti-aircraft defenses, including installations near Tehran and along corridors closer to Israel.
By dismantling these protective systems, Israeli commanders said they were able to pave the way for expanded aerial dominance.
The second wave concentrated on Iran’s ballistic missile infrastructure — including launchers and production facilities — in an effort to cripple Tehran’s capacity to carry out long-range strikes against the Israeli home front.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir addressed pilots before takeoff, describing the mission as historic. Codenamed “Operation Roaring Lion,” the campaign was framed as a decisive effort to remove direct threats against Israel.
“You are authorized to execute. Strike your targets — you are making history,” Zamir told aircrews, according to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.
Following the initial phase, Israeli Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar conducted a battlefield assessment with pilots and operations teams. Praising what he referred to as the “Genesis” opening strike, Bar described the operation as one of the most significant in the Air Force’s history.
He noted that nearly 200 fighter jets operated alongside dozens of command personnel and thousands of support troops in a synchronized assault designed to eliminate immediate missile threats.
Bar said the coordinated strikes destroyed dozens of missile sites while advancing Israel’s objective of aerial superiority over Iranian skies. “We’re off to a strong start,” he told crews.
The strikes took place amid broader joint operations between Israel and the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that American forces were engaged in what he described as “major combat operations” aimed at dismantling Iran’s missile stockpiles and missile production industry.
In response, Iranian forces launched retaliatory missile barrages toward Israel, triggering air raid sirens across several regions. The Israeli Air Force scrambled to intercept incoming projectiles as tensions escalated further.
The IDF has stated that operations remain ongoing, signaling that additional strikes could follow as part of its broader strategy to degrade what it calls the Iranian regime’s offensive capabilities.
As the situation continues to unfold, the scale of the air campaign underscores the gravity of the conflict, marking one of the most dramatic military escalations in the region in recent years.
Source Breitbart
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