Israeli fighter pilots, Navy and other forces have been working around the clock to eliminate the existential threat to the Jewish State posed by the regime of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
More than 150 objectives have been targeted, with the primary focus being Tehran, the capital of the Iranian Ayatollah regime, “the head of the octopus.”
As of 9:30 pm Saturday evening, Day 2 of Operation Rising Lion, Iran launched some 250 ballistic missiles at the State of Israel. Of those, at least 17 missile impact sites were identified.
Three people were killed and 174 more wounded, including two people reported in serious condition, seven reported with moderate injuries, and 165 with minor injuries, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
“Our multi-layered defense systems are operating to intercept threats, but they are not hermetic.
In the recent barrages, a limited number of impacts were identified in various areas, causing individuals to be trapped, injured, and even killed. All were evacuated for medical treatment,” IDF Spokesperson Effie Defrin said in a briefing Saturday afternoon.
“The public is asked not to document and not to share the locations of rocket fallings — doing so assists the enemy. Many such instances were circulated in the past 24 hours. I repeat: do not share them,” Defrin emphasized.
“I want to emphasize that the Hostage Task Force, the Southern Command, and the Intelligence Directorate are continuing to allocate all necessary resources to protect the hostages and fulfill our highest mission: to bring them home. The hostages remain at the forefront of our minds, and we will continue to do everything possible to secure their return,” he added.
“I ask you to remain calm and act with full responsibility.
I know these past days have been difficult and complex. We have launched an operation, and we know what a strong nation stands behind us. Together, we will get through this.”
Achievements In Iran
Over the past 24 hours, the IAF struck more than 150 targets and more than 400 separate assets in Iran.
Israeli forces struck hundreds of targets in Iran on Saturday, including dozens of surface-to-air targets. For the first time since the start of the war, the IAF struck defense arrays around Tehran, more than 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from Israeli territory.
Among the targets struck was an underground site in Khorramabad, western Iran, containing storage tunnels for surface-to-surface missiles and cruise missiles, as well as multiple launch shafts – the same underground “missile city” seen in a previous Iranian propaganda video. (See below)
The senior Iranian officials seen in the video — including the head of the Intelligence Directorate and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)’s surface-to-surface missile array — were also eliminated, as were more than 20 others.
The head of the Intelligence Directorate in the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff, Gholam-Reza Marhabi, was responsible for intelligence situational assessments for the Iranian Armed Forces and was considered Iran’s most senior intelligence officer. Marhabi played a key role in intelligence evaluations, operational planning, and combat preparations against Israel in the past year and before. He was also a highly respected senior figure within the regime’s security organization and a close associate of the Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, who was also eliminated in the opening strike.
The commander of the IRGC’s Surface-To-Surface Missile Array, Mohammad Bagheri, oversaw most of Iran’s long-range surface-to-surface and cruise missile capabilities. These capabilities serve as the regime’s primary offensive tools against the State of Israel. Bagheri managed Iran’s firepower systems and played an active role in the decision-making processes behind Iran’s attacks on Israel in April and October 2024. He was eliminated alongside IRGC’s Air Force Commander, Amir Ali Hajizadeh, and several other senior officials in an underground headquarters in Tehran.
‘Tehran is Now Open’
“Overnight, the IAF launched a massive strike executed by over 70 fighter jets, striking targets in Tehran, deep in the heart of the country. The road to Tehran is open,” the IDF Spokesperson said.
“We struck over 40 missile-related targets and advanced air defense array systems across Iran, as well as additional command and launch infrastructure. Our fighter jets flew for about two and a half hours in the skies of Tehran, together with unmanned aerial vehicles that remained airborne around the clock, all controlling the airspace, providing intelligence, and assisting in the strike.
“Dozens of aircraft are now operating freely over Tehran thanks to our strikes that neutralized many of Iran’s Air Defense Array threats. This is an arena where IAF fighter jets are operating for the first time — marking the deepest range we’ve ever reached in Iran,” he underscored.
“Our aircraft flew unencumbered the entire way to the surprise strike. We’ve established aerial superiority from western Iran to Tehran. This enables us to act and thwart threats against the State of Israel. “Our pilots are operating professionally in the face of risk. Reaching Tehran bears broad strategic and operational implications. The IAF and the Intelligence Directorate have been preparing for this moment for years.
“We will reach wherever necessary to protect the civilians of Israel. Tehran is no longer immune. Its capital city and its terror network are now exposed to Israeli strikes,” he added.
Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites, Air Bases and More
Israeli forces have struck multiple Iranian nuclear development facilities, including the Natanz uranium enrichment plant and the Isfahan conversion facility. Both were significantly damaged.
The facility at Isfahan is a site where a process of ‘reconversion’ of enriched uranium takes place. This is the stage after uranium enrichment in the nuclear weapons production process.
The strike dismantled a facility for producing metallic uranium, infrastructure for reconverting enriched uranium, laboratories, and additional infrastructure.
Nine senior scientists and experts in the Iranian nuclear project were eliminated during the opening strikes of Operation Rising Lion, thanks to precise intelligence. All the eliminated scientists and experts served as “significant knowledge centers” in the Iranian nuclear project and had decades of accumulated experience in the development of nuclear weapons.
The IDF also struck the Hamadan and Tabriz Iranian Air Force bases in Western Iran. The Tabriz base was dismantled as a result.
In addition, the IDF destroyed dozens of Iranian aerial defense sites, UAVs and surface-to-surface missile launchers. The Israeli Air Force and Navy intercepted multiple suicide drones as they approached the Jewish State.
IDF Troops Continue Work in Gaza, Judea, Samaria
In Gaza, combat continues throughout the Strip, with our troops fighting with determination and courage. IDF soldiers in the air, on land, and at sea continue to destroy dozens of Hamas terror targets and eliminate operatives. In the north, we have completed mobilization of reserve units deployed along the Lebanon and Syria borders. If necessary, we have offensive plans ready against anyone who attempts to attack or challenge us in the northern arena.
In Judea and Samaria, we have reinforced with many regular and reserve troops. These forces are carrying out offensive missions and strengthening defense in the communities and along the security border.
