Israel has successfully taken out one-third of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers since Thursday, a move that IDF officials say has significantly diminished the threat posed by Tehran—not only to Israel, but globally, according to a report in The New York Post.
Since launching Operation Rising Lion, Israeli forces have neutralized approximately 120 missile launchers, leaving Iran with just two-thirds of its original inventory, IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said Monday. This blow to Iran’s missile capabilities marks a major shift in the region’s balance of power.
As a result of Israel’s offensive, Iran’s retaliatory capacity has shrunk dramatically. According to a different IDF source, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched under 50 missiles at Israel during the most recent wave—nearly half the number fired in previous attacks.
“The Israeli Air Force struck over 100 military targets in Iran overnight,” the source explained. “The strikes focused on central Iran — the main area where missile launchers and ballistic missiles remain.”
Among the sites hit were over 20 missiles that were moments away from being fired at Israeli targets.
“Based on precise intelligence, launch teams that were either operating from command centers or en route to carry out launches against Israel were eliminated during the strikes,” the official said.
Israel’s rapid achievement in establishing complete aerial dominance over Tehran within three days is what enabled the IDF to carry out these high-impact missions—something President Vladimir Putin has not managed in over three years of fighting in Ukraine.
“Some of (the eliminated 20 missiles) were identified by IAF aircraft just minutes before their planned launch, covered on in plastic,” the official said.
This dominance in the skies has allowed the IDF to go after Iranian missile units while they are actively attempting to attack Israel.
“The aerial capabilities we previously saw in Gaza, Lebanon and Judea and Samaria (also known as the West Bank) are now operational in Iran,” Defrin said.
Israel also struck more than 20 command hubs associated with the Iranian military and the Quds Force, killing several high-ranking officers, including the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard’s intelligence branch, his deputy, and the Quds Force’s deputy intelligence chief.
“The Quds Force has been the main conduit for many of the terrorist attacks and assaults against Israel in recent decades,” Defrin said. “Now, the command centers where these attacks were planned have been completely destroyed.”
“The Quds Force is the central terror arm of the Iranian regime. It is responsible for operating Iran’s proxies around Israel’s borders and for distributing weapons and missiles intended for attack the state of Israel,” he added.
Despite these major setbacks for Iran, the regime still managed to carry out deadly strikes in four separate locations across central and northern Israel on Sunday night, killing eight civilians and wounding many others, according to Defrin.
“This is the face of the Iranian terror regime: While we target military and nuclear capabilities intended to destroy the state of Israel, they fire at population centers with the aim of harming civilians,” he said.
“This is precisely why we launched the operation: to eliminate the existential threat posed to the state of Israel: the nuclear and missile threats.”
{Matzav.com}
