Dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets conducted a broad wave of airstrikes over Tehran overnight, targeting air defense infrastructure as part of Israel’s widening military response against Iran.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the strikes focused on surface-to-air missile facilities and were designed to degrade the Iranian regime’s air defense capabilities in the capital region. The operation was carried out as part of “Operation Iron Sword,” a campaign aimed at countering Iran’s regional military activity and its nuclear program.
“In a precise and operationally meaningful strike over Tehran’s airspace, we carried out attacks that improve our air superiority and freedom of action in Iran,” said Israeli Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar during a situational assessment following the raid. “After a high-intensity day in which we struck hundreds of targets, including dozens of air defense systems, we launched a wave of attacks of operational and national importance.”
The IDF confirmed this was the first time since the start of the conflict that a large formation of Israeli fighter jets penetrated Iranian airspace above Tehran, flying more than 1,500 kilometers from Israeli territory to execute the mission.
Earlier in the day, Israeli authorities reported that multiple components of the military—including missile boats, the Air Defense Command, and both fighter jets and helicopters—intercepted dozens of unmanned aerial vehicles launched from Iran toward Israeli territory over the previous 24 hours.
In a separate development, the IDF said that nine senior scientists and experts involved in Iran’s nuclear weapons program were killed in initial airstrikes at the onset of the current operation. “All of the individuals targeted were key sources of expertise for Iran’s nuclear project, with decades of cumulative experience in weapons development,” the military said.
The ongoing air campaign is Israel’s direct response to escalating Iranian activity, which included a large-scale drone and missile barrage.
The Israeli military has not disclosed further details regarding the operational depth or future plans of the current campaign. However, the scale and reach of the strikes suggest a calibrated effort to weaken Iran’s military infrastructure while asserting air dominance far beyond Israel’s borders.
As the regional conflict escalates, the Israeli government has reiterated its position that it will act unilaterally, if necessary, to neutralize threats posed by Iran’s strategic capabilities.