The Israel Defense Forces released extensive new information about Operation Roaring Lion in Iran, outlining how the campaign was prepared, how the opening strike was carried out, and the operational progress made since the fighting began.

According to the military, months before the launch of the operation, the Intelligence Directorate invested major efforts in preparing for the campaign, incorporating lessons learned from earlier confrontations with Iran. The army stressed that planners approached the operation with the clear understanding that Iran possesses substantial military capabilities and cannot be underestimated.

The military said the campaign now underway in Iran is being executed according to a detailed operational framework that had been carefully developed in advance. Thousands of personnel from Military Intelligence and other IDF units, including both regular and reserve forces, participated in building the plan. Officials added that the overwhelming majority of targets struck during the current operation were newly identified by Military Intelligence after Operation Rising Lion, the result of years of intelligence gathering and analysis.

The IDF also reported that Hezbollah’s capabilities were drastically reduced following Operation Northern Arrows. According to the army’s assessment, roughly 90 percent of the organization’s weapons arsenal was destroyed, weakening the group significantly. Combined with Israel’s defensive preparations, that damage has provided the military with increased operational freedom in both Lebanon and Iran.

Israeli security officials had anticipated the possibility that Hezbollah could enter the conflict, prompting extensive preparations and adjustments to operational plans ahead of time. The army said it remains ready for both defensive and offensive action along the northern border.

As part of the broader preparation for the campaign, Israel also deepened coordination with the United States. The IDF said both countries worked to align intelligence assessments and operational understanding through a series of meetings and visits by senior military officials to the United States in recent months.

Military officials also highlighted the impact of Operation Rising Lion, stating that the earlier campaign prevented Iran from immediately advancing its nuclear program and significantly reduced the threat posed by its ballistic missile arsenal. According to the IDF, without that earlier operation Iran would currently possess more than a thousand additional missiles.

The army said the opening strike of Operation Roaring Lion was designed and executed as a surprise attack. Although Iranian authorities had maintained a heightened state of alert in recent months, the IDF said it successfully caught the regime off guard and dealt major blows to key Iranian capabilities.

The military explained that the initial phase of the campaign aimed to significantly weaken the Iranian regime’s military power, reduce the threats it poses, and create conditions that could potentially allow the Iranian public to challenge and topple the regime.

During the first wave of strikes, numerous senior figures in Iran’s government and security establishment were killed. According to the IDF, this was made possible through close intelligence monitoring of the Iranian Defense Council and other strategic targets, enabling the military to identify a moment when several senior officials were gathered in specific locations simultaneously.

At the current stage of the operation, the military said its focus has shifted to systematically targeting the regime’s centers of power, including command headquarters, control centers, Basij facilities, and units responsible for suppressing internal dissent.

The IDF noted that Operation Roaring Lion differs from Operation Rising Lion in scope and purpose. While the earlier operation concentrated on neutralizing an immediate threat, the current campaign allows Israel to target a broader range of Iran’s strategic military capabilities.

In the initial days of the fighting, Israeli forces concentrated on striking Iran’s ballistic missile infrastructure in an effort to reduce the number of launches toward Israel. According to the military, more than two weeks into the conflict, the volume of missiles fired at Israel has declined significantly compared with the earlier Operation Rising Lion.

The IDF also reported that it achieved air superiority over much of Iran’s airspace within just 24 hours of the campaign’s start, allowing Israeli aircraft to operate widely across the country. As part of the early strikes, the military destroyed 120 detection components and 100 air defense systems.

According to the army, a majority of Iran’s missile launchers have now been struck, with roughly 85 percent of the regime’s detection capabilities damaged. In addition, about 70 percent of Iran’s launchers have been rendered unusable.

Israeli strikes against Iran’s military industries also caused substantial damage to the country’s missile production capabilities. The IDF said the attacks have effectively halted Iran’s current ability to manufacture missiles, while continued strikes are aimed at preventing the production chain from recovering.

In recent days, Israeli forces have also targeted the command structure overseeing Iran’s missile operations. Strikes were carried out against command officers, missile bases, and alternative command locations and residences. According to the military, these actions have further reduced the volume of missile launches toward Israel.

The army said its operations across Iran are being conducted in an organized and methodical manner, focusing on regime security bodies such as the Revolutionary Guards and other internal security forces. According to the IDF, more than 2,200 components tied to the Iranian regime have been destroyed so far.

Security officials reported signs of severe damage within Iranian forces, including thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of wounded among regime personnel. They also pointed to declining morale, along with reports of soldiers refusing orders or abandoning their positions.

The campaign has also targeted the Quds Force, with Israeli operations directed at the organization both inside Iran and in other regional arenas.

In the nuclear sphere, the military said it is attempting to damage the entire infrastructure supporting Iran’s nuclear program. Officials stated that the goal is to inflict broader harm than what was achieved during Operation Rising Lion.

The IDF stressed that the operation is not constrained by a fixed timetable. Instead, it will continue until the defined objectives are achieved. Officials explained that dismantling a threat that has been developing for decades requires sustained military pressure and sufficient operational flexibility.

At the same time, the military continues to gather intelligence to detect and prevent terrorist attacks, with particular attention on developments in Iran and Lebanon while maintaining surveillance throughout the wider Middle East.

The IDF also said Iran has adopted a broader strategy of attacking multiple countries in the region, particularly Gulf states. Although Tehran claims that its strikes target only American interests, Israeli officials say civilian infrastructure has also been hit, including hotels, commercial hubs, and densely populated areas.

Looking ahead, the IDF said the next phase of the campaign will focus on expanding the gains already made by continuing to target Iran’s missile capabilities and its military-industrial infrastructure.

{Matzav.com}