Israel’s military campaign against Iran, conducted alongside the United States, is advancing according to plan and even more quickly than originally anticipated, senior defense officials said Sunday, Times of Israel reports. At the same time, the military is preparing to expand attacks on Iran’s defense manufacturing sector while continuing operations aimed at limiting missile launches toward Israel.

Although progress has been faster than projected, Israeli officials say the operation is expected to continue for at least several more weeks. The military still has thousands of targets to strike across Iran, including sites in Tehran and other areas of the country.

“We have thousands of targets ahead,” IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin told CNN on Sunday. “We are ready, in coordination with our US allies, with plans through at least the Jewish holiday of Passover, about three weeks from now. And we have deeper plans for even three weeks beyond that.”

The war began with a series of targeted Israeli strikes on February 28 that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, along with more than forty senior Iranian officials. Since then, the IDF has carried out sustained attacks against ballistic missile launch systems and air defense networks. Military officials say the focus of the campaign has now shifted toward dismantling Iran’s defense manufacturing infrastructure.

According to Israeli officials, the current war differs dramatically from the brief twelve-day conflict that took place in June 2025 and is far broader in scope.

During that earlier confrontation, Israel concentrated primarily on neutralizing what it viewed as an imminent danger: Iran’s progress toward acquiring nuclear weapons and its accelerated production of ballistic missiles. The current campaign, however, is intended to go much further by removing not only the immediate threat posed by Iran but also the broader long-term strategic danger to Israel.

As a result, the military is now working to systematically damage Iran’s entire military production network, targeting facilities connected to ballistic missiles, nuclear development, and other weapons systems.

Iran’s defense industry is extensive and includes multiple branches of the military along with private companies that develop components used in weapons systems. These organizations manufacture a wide range of capabilities, including missile technology, air defense systems, naval weapons, cyber warfare tools, and even reconnaissance satellites.

Israel has targeted elements of Iran’s weapons industry before. In October 2024, Israeli fighter jets struck facilities producing planetary mixers used in the manufacturing of solid fuel for long-range ballistic missiles. Similar attacks were carried out during the June 2025 conflict, when Israel targeted locations tied to missile and air defense production.

Officials say the current campaign is far more comprehensive. The IDF now intends to strike every facility connected to Iran’s weapons production process, covering the entire chain of development and manufacturing.

Since the start of the war, Israel has already attacked more than 1,700 sites tied to Iran’s military industry, and hundreds of additional targets remain on the list.

The targets include major defense companies linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which produce ballistic missiles and other advanced weaponry, as well as smaller firms that supply key components for those systems.

According to Israeli officials, these strikes have inflicted heavy damage on Iran’s missile manufacturing sector. As a result, they say Iran currently lacks the capability to produce new ballistic missiles.

Israel has also continued striking facilities connected to Iran’s nuclear program, targeting research centers and companies involved in developing components used in atomic weapons.

In addition to military industry targets, Israeli strikes have focused on what officials describe as the regime’s “centers of power.” These include command headquarters and facilities used by internal security forces and the Basij paramilitary organization responsible for suppressing protests.

Military officials estimate that between 4,000 and 5,000 Iranian soldiers have been killed during Israeli strikes, with tens of thousands more wounded. Many of those casualties, they say, come from the regime’s internal security apparatus and the Basij militia.

Officials also report signs of weakening morale among Iranian troops, including cases of soldiers refusing orders or abandoning their posts.

These developments appear to be most evident among personnel responsible for operating Iran’s ballistic missile systems. Israeli officials say attacks on command centers and replacement headquarters have sharply reduced the number of missiles fired at Israel in recent days.

At the same time, the Israeli Air Force continues actively searching for and destroying missile launch platforms. In recent days alone, dozens of launchers have reportedly been destroyed, including several that were prepared to fire toward Israel.

Overall, the military says it has eliminated or disabled roughly seventy percent of Iran’s estimated fleet of about 500 ballistic missile launchers. However, officials acknowledge that Iran has previously demonstrated the ability to build new launch systems relatively quickly, as it did following the 2025 war.

Israeli airstrikes have also focused heavily on Iran’s air defense network. Within the first day of the conflict, the IDF reported gaining aerial superiority in certain parts of the country, allowing Israeli aircraft to carry out large-scale strikes in Tehran and other regions with reduced risk.

Military officials say the Israeli Air Force now enjoys air dominance over most of Iran’s airspace after destroying more than one hundred air defense systems and roughly 120 detection installations.

At the same time, Israeli operations continue targeting the Quds Force, the IRGC’s overseas operations arm, both inside Iran and in Lebanon.

Israeli leaders say the joint campaign with the United States is intended to weaken the Iranian regime’s military capabilities, push threats farther away from Israel, and help create conditions that could eventually allow the Iranian population to challenge and potentially overthrow the ruling government.

{Matzav.com}