In a major escalation, Israeli fighter jets and drones conducted coordinated overnight raids on several Iranian airfields, destroying 15 Iranian warplanes, including F-14s, F-5s, AH-1 helicopters, and even a refuelling aircraft. According to the Israeli military, these planes were probably being prepared for attacks against Israel. The raids hit six separate airfields and destroyed critical infrastructure such as runways and hangars, which hindered Iran’s capacity to carry out future aerial missions.
Israeli aircraft also attacked Iranian military targets at Tehran and Kermanshah, levelling missile sites, radar installations, and an advanced air-defence launcher that was clandestinely concealed. In addition, Iran reported it had shot down an Israeli drone in western Iran, confirmed by the IDF, which added, however, that it carried no sensitive information.
In a different incident, Iran launched a ballistic missile towards central Israel, which was shot down. There were no casualties. The tension is still high as Israel pursues its Operation Rising Lion to keep Iranian airspace under its control. Iran’s state media said 10 members of the Revolutionary Guard were killed in one of the Israeli airstrikes, further raising apprehensions of broader conflict.
