How Did Israel Hit 40% of Iran’s Missiles in One Week—and What Comes Next for Fordow?
Israel's military campaign against Iranian strategic infrastructure continues to progress rapidly, with significant success in dismantling critical nuclear and missile assets. Behind the scenes, months of intelligence planning and aerial dominance have enabled a swift neutralization of key threats with more action expected imminently.
Israel’s military operation deep inside Iranian territory has significantly surpassed expectations, with officials now projecting that all primary nuclear targets, including the heavily fortified Fordow facility, could be neutralized within a week. According to internal assessments, the Israeli Air Force has already destroyed 35–40% of Iran’s surface-to-surface missile stockpiles, severely crippling the regime’s ability to launch large-scale attacks on Israel’s home front.
The timing of the strike was not arbitrary. Intelligence gathered in late 2024 revealed that between June and December 2025, Iran could double its missile production and that the Quds Force was finalizing operational plans for an assault on Israel through its proxy network. This triggered the decision to act decisively in June, just months after covert planning began.
The operation’s preparation phase dates back to November 2024, during an Israeli military exercise in Lebanon. That’s when Israeli defense leaders, including the Prime Minister, defined the strategic "red line" and established operational requirements for confronting Iran directly. A joint task force of 120 intelligence and air force personnel was assembled to coordinate the mission.
By January 2025, it became clear that Israel would first need to gain full air superiority. The solution involved locating and mapping every Iranian air defense system, a task completed by cross-referencing thousands of intelligence sources. A dedicated kill-chain was also developed to eliminate Iran’s top military command in parallel with infrastructure strikes.
In the opening 24 hours of the assault, Israel dismantled more than 40 Iranian air defense systems, creating unprecedented aerial freedom. Since then, dozens of IAF jets, guided by real-time intelligence, have targeted launch platforms, radar arrays, and critical missile sites. Israeli drones also participated in the campaign, which included five major waves of coordinated strikes.
The Iranian regime has shifted its missile launchers deeper into central Iran following the destruction of many western-based sites. Today, Israeli jets struck a major launch facility in Isfahan, with additional attacks anticipated in the coming hours. So far, over 70 Iranian air defense batteries have been taken out.
As Iranian forces lose the ability to launch missiles en masse, their remaining stockpiles become increasingly irrelevant. The IDF emphasizes that even if Iran retains hundreds of rockets, the inability to launch them simultaneously dramatically reduces their strategic value.