Israeli fighter jets entered Iranian airspace Saturday in a large-scale operation targeting critical military sites, CNN reported on Sunday, one day after Iran International reported Israeli F-35s had entered Iran's airspace for the first time and bombed targets near Tehran.
The CNN report cited one former and one current Israeli official saying the Israeli warplanes breached Iranian airspace as part of the airstrikes on Iran early Saturday.
While around 100 jets were involved in the mission, only some entered Iranian airspace, the report said.
Iran International was the first media outlet which reported that Israeli jets flew over Tehran, targeting sites in the region. Social media users in Tehran also reported hearing loud sounds, believed to be the jets in action.
Hours after the Israeli airstrikes, the General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces said that Israeli aircraft used airspace controlled by the US military in Iraq to launch several long-range air-launched missiles.
The Iranian military's statement added that Israel's strikes resulted in "limited and minimal damage" thanks to the "timely performance of the country’s air defenses," with "a few radar systems damaged, some of which were immediately repaired, while others are currently under repair."
However, satellite images from Planet Labs and another commercial provider, analyzed by military experts, reveal extensive damage to key Iranian sites, underscoring the significant impact of Israel’s operation.
The targets include missile production facilities, missile fuel mixing plants, and sites related to nuclear weapons development. Key sites affected include the Taleqan nuclear facility near Jajrood Dam, three missile motor production buildings, the Parchin military complex, and two buildings in the Khojir complex outside Tehran.
Ali Khamenei, Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, responded to the attack on Sunday, saying, “Israel’s aggression two nights ago should neither be exaggerated nor underestimated; Israel’s miscalculation must be corrected, and the strength, resolve, and innovation of the Iranian people and the country’s youth should be made clear to them.”
“It is up to the officials to determine how to convey the power and resolve of the nation to Israel and to carry out what is in the best interest of this nation and country,” Khamenei added.
President Masoud Pezeshkian called the operation an act of aggression and accused the US of provoking Israel. Pezeshkian said that “Iran does not seek war” but promised a “fitting response to Israel’s actions.” He added that Western powers had previously assured Tehran of peace in return for restraint but said “these promises were entirely false.”
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi similarly said on Sunday that "Iran will not leave the Israeli aggression unanswered," relaying the statement to his Omani counterpart in a call, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
Iranian media on Sunday confirmed the death of a civilian named Allahverdi Rahimpour who had been injured in the strikes, raising the death toll to five. Conflicting reports described him as either a contractor company's security guard or a civilian unaffiliated with the military. Previously confirmed fatalities included four members of Iran’s army: Sajjad Mansouri, Mehdi Naghavi, Hamzeh Jahandideh, and Mohammad Mehdi Shahrokhi-Far, two of whom worked for Iran's missile production units.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted on Sunday that Israeli airstrikes over the weekend damaged Iran’s missile production and defense capabilities, affirming the operation’s success in achieving its objectives.
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi also said in a Saturday assessment that Israel only showed some of its abilities.
“We have the ability to do much more. We hit strategic systems in Iran… and we will see how things develop now. We are ready for all scenarios on all fronts. Our message is a very clear message, and it is connected to the things that have happened across the Middle East in recent months. We know how to reach and hit any threat, in any place, at any time,” Halevi noted.
Israel’s public broadcaster Kann News reported, citing a knowledgeable source, that “the US estimates that Iran is still able to respond to the Israeli airstrikes with the same magnitude as its Oct. 1 attack, that is, launch hundreds of ballistic missiles against Israel.” However, the report noted that the US assessment suggests that the damage from the Israeli strikes on Iran’s missile production capacity may impact the scale and nature of Iran's response.
