Iranian media are now asserting that several of the targets struck by Israeli fighter jets during recent operations were decoys designed to mislead airstrikes and protect operational assets.
The claim follows the release of Israeli Air Force (IAF) footage showing direct hits on ballistic missile systems that, according to open-source analysts, lacked expected secondary detonations.
The Israel Defense Forces had earlier released videos of precision strikes on Iranian missile launchers and related infrastructure as part of Operation Rising Lion.
While the footage confirmed impact on several targets, OSINT researchers noted the absence of post-strike explosions, which would typically occur if the launchers had been fully armed or fueled.
💥 Israel published video showing strike on mobile ballistic missile launchers of Iranian army.
Looks like these are decoys because no secondary explosions. pic.twitter.com/ENQRMaTnOC
— Cyrus Intel (@Cyrus_Intel) June 15, 2025
The absence of such detonations led to speculation that Iran may have deployed non-operational decoys—mock-ups or empty shell systems—to divert Israeli strikes away from active missile launchers involved in recent attacks on Israeli territory.
In a response issued through state-affiliated media, Iranian military sources claimed that “several targets destroyed by Israeli forces were decoys placed intentionally to mislead enemy aircraft.” The report stopped short of confirming how many decoys were used or whether actual missile systems remained unharmed.
Footage that emerged later appeared to support the Iranian narrative. One video shows a strike location where remnants of the “target” reveal no internal components, suggesting it was a full-scale mock-up rather than an armed launcher.
Example of Iranian decoys: Many Israeli strikes hit fake launchers— some videos show little to no secondary explosions, suggesting they weren’t real missiles. pic.twitter.com/FgV69Cn0nE
— Clash Report (@clashreport) June 15, 2025
The site was reportedly among those hit during one of the IAF’s raids earlier this week.
This type of battlefield deception has been widely documented in other conflict zones, including Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly used inflatable or wooden replicas of HIMARS systems and radar units to draw Russian missile strikes away from active equipment. The tactic forces adversaries to expend costly precision munitions on non-lethal targets, preserving real assets for future operations.
Iran appears to be adopting a similar strategy to shield its mobile ballistic missile systems and strategic platforms from Israeli detection and targeting. With Israeli jets striking more than 170 military-related targets and over 720 infrastructure components in less than three days, the use of decoys may be one of the few tools available to delay or disrupt continued attacks.
As of Sunday, Israeli forces continue to maintain air superiority over Iran, with no signs of slowing the pace of operations. The IDF says it will continue to target any infrastructure supporting Iranian strikes or contributing to its long-range capabilities.