Maj.-Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, who served as chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, was among those killed in the strikes.
The IAF killed 40 senior Iranian commanders “within a minute” in the opening wave of Operation Roaring Lion, the IDF announced on Sunday. describing the strikes as a preemptive blow against what it called threats posed by Iran’s leadership.
The IDF said the opening wave included simultaneous strikes at several locations in Tehran, where seven members of Iran’s top security leadership were gathered. The operation was carried out under IDF intelligence guidance.
The military later confirmed that Maj.-Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi, who served as chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, was among those killed in the strikes.
According to the IDF statement, Mousavi had been appointed after the killing of his predecessor, Mohammad Bagheri, during Israel’s earlier campaign, and previously served as commander of Iran’s army while holding senior security positions.
The IDF said Mousavi oversaw key components of Iran’s security apparatus and linked him to missile attacks launched at Israel during previous fighting, which the military said killed Israeli civilians. In a separate strike, the IDF also killed former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The IDF also said it has dismantled most of Iran’s air defense systems in western and central Iran, calling the strikes part of an effort to expand operational freedom of action and move toward aerial superiority over Tehran.
The operation began Saturday morning, and Israeli officials said the timing was chosen to preserve surprise and exploit a narrow operational window, with strikes focused on Iranian command targets in Tehran and military infrastructure in western Iran.
Over 200 Israeli aircraft hit 500 targets in initial strikes
Israel said that in the early phase of the campaign, over 200 aircraft struck 500 targets, while subsequent waves continued to expand the strike set as the fighting entered its second day.
The IDF said the initial assault unfolded in two major waves, with the first wave targeting radars and anti-aircraft defenses, and the second wave focusing on Iran’s ballistic missile apparatus to reduce its ability to strike Israel’s home front.
As the campaign progressed, the IDF said it conducted additional strikes against ballistic missile capabilities and air defenses, including a missile launch site in the Qom area that it said contained large quantities of explosives and was intended for launches toward Israel.
Iran responded with missile and drone attacks, which continued into the conflict’s second day on Sunday, with sirens across Israel and continued exchanges of fire.
YAHOO / JP
