IDF says it completed strike on Iranian air defense systems in western Iran

Mossad and the Israeli military carried out a series of covert operations against Iran’s strategic missile infrastructure ahead of this week’s airstrikes, according to Israeli media and security sources cited by Reuters.

Military correspondent Itay Blumental of Israel’s Kan News, citing a security source, reported that Mossad operatives secretly smuggled large volumes of precision-guided weaponry into Iran and deployed them across various locations.

The weapons were used to target Iranian surface-to-air missile systems and long-range missile launchers during the strikes.

According to the same report, Mossad:

• Dispatched commando teams to place munitions near air defense systems to disrupt their operations.
• Used vehicle-mounted systems to launch weapons at the start of the operation, targeting Iranian air defenses.
• Established a drone base inside Iran to attack missile launchers, west of Tehran.

A separate Israeli security source told Reuters that Mossad and the Israeli military jointly led these operations, focusing specifically on degrading Iran’s strategic missile array.

Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee will hold an emergency session on Friday following Israeli airstrikes, a senior lawmaker said.

Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the committee, said the meeting would take place later in the day to review what he called “the Zionist regime’s crime.”

“The Zionist regime must now expect a harsh, instructive, regret-inducing, and devastating response from the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Rezaei said, according to ILNA.

He added that lawmakers demand an “immediate and decisive” reaction and retribution for the blood of “innocent Iranian citizens.”

German airline Lufthansa on Friday announced it had suspended all flights to and from Tehran, citing the evolving security situation following Israeli strikes on Iranian territory.

“Lufthansa Group flights to and from Tehran will be suspended until further notice due to the current situation,” the company said in a statement, adding it would also avoid Iranian, Iraqi and Israeli airspace for overflights.

Russia’s Aeroflot also said it had canceled flights between Moscow and Tehran and made adjustments to other routes in the Middle East, while Qatar Airways announced the suspension of flights to and from both Iraq and Iran.

Iran has never initiated a war but will not remain silent in the face of aggression, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said Friday, following Israeli strikes on Iran.

In a post on X, Mohajerani described the attack as a "cowardly miscalculation" and "a sign of fear of our great nation."

She added: “The calm and vigilance of our people is our national asset. Iran is not comparable to any other country, and its response will be decisive, legitimate, and at the right time.”

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Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have both condemned Israel’s military action against Iran, calling it a violation of international norms and a threat to regional stability.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry described the attack as a “flagrant violation of Iran’s sovereignty and security,” and called for restraint and de-escalation.

The UAE’s Foreign Ministry said it “condemns in the strongest terms” Israel’s military strikes and expressed “deep concern over the repercussions on regional security and stability.”