Israel halts major Iran strike at last minute, air force chief confirms

Israeli Air Force chief Major General Omer Tischler has confirmed that a key planned wave of strikes on Iran was cancelled during the recent escalation in fighting, despite preparations being fully completed.

In a message to Israeli Air Force personnel, Tischler said that while Israel conducted limited strikes inside Iran in response to missile fire, a far larger operation was ultimately called off, The Times of Israel reports.

“In parallel with the defensive battle, the air force launched an offensive 1,500 kilometers [932 miles] from home. Within a few hours, dozens of targets in Iran were struck, significantly damaging the Iranian air defense system and hitting additional regime components,” he wrote.

However, he revealed that a broader mission targeting hundreds of sites inside Iran was prepared but never executed.

By June 8, “the entire Air Force was ready to take off for a broad strike sortie” that would have targeted “hundreds of targets in the heart of Iran,” Tischler said.

“The strike was halted while we were briefing in the squadrons, just one hour before the departure for the sortie,” he added.

According to reports, the planned operation was cancelled by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following a request from US President Donald Trump, who urged Israel not to further escalate tensions with Iran.

The recent exchange of fire marked a renewed phase of conflict between Israel and Iran, following a ceasefire that had taken effect in early April.

Hostilities escalated after the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon launched rockets at northern Israel, prompting Israeli strikes on Beirut. Iran subsequently fired 24 ballistic missiles at Israel, while its allied Houthi movement in Yemen launched two missiles.

Israel responded with two waves of airstrikes on Iranian territory, targeting military and energy infrastructure. According to the Israeli military, fighter jets struck nine Iranian air defense systems in western and central Iran during the first wave, and later hit three factories at a petrochemical complex in southwest Iran, which were used to produce materials for missile development.

Following the escalation, US President Donald Trump reportedly urged Israel to avoid further strikes. Speaking to Channel 12, he warned that continued escalation could leave Israel isolated in the conflict.

Trump and Netanyahu held multiple conversations during the fighting, with the US president pushing for de-escalation and the Israeli prime minister arguing in favor of continued strikes.

Netanyahu had initially approved a major operation against Iran, but later agreed to halt it after a direct call from Trump, who said Washington would pursue diplomatic efforts to end the war.

Late on June 14, the United States and Iran reportedly agreed on a deal to end the war, which also included provisions to halt hostilities in Lebanon. However, fighting between Israel and Hezbollah reportedly continued at a reduced level into June 13 despite the agreement.

By Vafa Guliyeva