Israeli Air Force strikes dozens of targets near Tehran in overnight operation PHOTO/VIDEO

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) carried out a major wave of airstrikes over Tehran overnight, targeting strategic Iranian military infrastructure in what Israeli officials have described as a significant operation aimed at weakening Iran’s air defence capabilities.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), dozens of targets were hit in and around the Iranian capital, including surface-to-air missile systems. The strikes are part of Israel’s ongoing campaign to degrade Iran’s aerial defense network and prevent what it calls an “existential threat” to Israeli civilians, Caliber.Az reports.

The Commander of the Israeli Air Force, Major General Tomer Bar, emphasised the importance of the operation during a situational assessment held after the attack.

“These strikes carry operational and national significance. We damaged — and will continue to damage — strategic sites and enemy sources of knowledge,” said MG Bar. “For the first time since the beginning of the war, over 1,500 kilometers from Israeli territory, the IAF struck defense arrays in the area of Tehran.”

מטוסי חיל האוויר טסו הלילה והשלימו גל תקיפות בשמי טהרן; מפקד חיל האוויר, אלוף תומר בר: ״התקיפות מעל שמי טהרן בעלות משמעות מבצעית ולאומית. בחרנו לפעול אל מול איום קיומי על בטחון אזרחינו, במקצועיות, נחישות ודיוק״

עשרות מטוסי קרב של חיל האוויר תקפו במהלך הלילה בטהרן עשרות מטרות בהן… pic.twitter.com/VTgjX3WvFZ

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) June 14, 2025

Bar noted that the IAF had also struck hundreds of other targets, including dozens related to Iranian air defence, in earlier phases of the operation.

“Our actions improve our aerial superiority and freedom of activity in Iran. We chose to act against an existential threat to our civilians with professionalism, determination, and precision,” he said.

He added that such high-risk operations require complex coordination across various branches and technologies within the military.

“The IAF will continue to operate in all arenas, both offensively and defensively, as the long strategic arm of the IDF,” MG Bar concluded.

Iran launched retaliatory airstrikes at Israel on the night of June 13, with explosions heard in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, the country's two largest cities, following Israel's biggest-ever military strike, targeting senior military commanders, nuclear scientists, strategic military sites, and the Natanz underground nuclear facility.

Israel's operation "will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a TV address.

By Sabina Mammadli