Israeli Defense Forces have severely crippled Iran’s military capabilities, eliminating approximately 80% of the country’s air defense infrastructure and over 60% of ballistic missile launch systems during the initial stages of Operation Roaring Lion, according to Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Israel’s chief military officer.
The extensive bombardment has granted Israeli warplanes nearly complete dominance over Iranian airspace, Zamir announced in his official statement.
“Within 24 hours, our pilots paved the way to Tehran. We destroyed about 80% of the air defense systems and achieved almost complete air superiority over the skies of Iran,” Zamir stated.
The military campaign has involved extensive aerial operations against Iranian defense installations, with Israeli pilots conducting massive numbers of combat missions.
“So far, Israeli Air Force pilots have carried out 2,500 strikes and dropped more than 6,000 munitions,” the IDF chief reported.
Military sources indicate that numerous attacks have concentrated on missile installations that Israeli leadership considers the primary danger to civilian areas within Israel’s borders.
“Thanks to this and to the high-quality intelligence, we are striking the ballistic missiles that pose a direct threat to the citizens of the State of Israel.”
Zamir added, “We have neutralized and destroyed more than 60% of the ballistic missile launchers, a very significant achievement that reduces the damage to the home front and saves many lives.”
However, the military leader cautioned that Iran continues to pose a security risk to Israel even after the substantial damage to its weapons systems.
“Every missile is lethal, I emphasize that the threat has not yet been removed and still poses a danger,” he warned.
Israeli military leadership indicated plans to escalate operations as the mission enters its next stage.
“We are now transitioning to the next phase of the campaign, in which we will intensify strikes against the regime’s foundations and military capabilities,” Zamir announced.
“We have additional surprise moves at our disposal that I do not intend to reveal,” he concluded.
