Inside Operation Rising Lion: How Israeli Intelligence Is Dismantling Iran’s Command Chain
Israel’s Military Intelligence Chief, Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, praised the IDF’s relentless pursuit of Iranian commanders during Operation Rising Lion, emphasizing their success in transforming Iran from a distant threat into a primary target. His remarks highlight the IDF’s precision strikes, which have eliminated key Iranian military figures, underscoring the urgent need to neutralize Iran’s existential threat to Israel.
Yesterday, Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder, head of Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, visited the IDF’s target operations center and delivered a powerful message about the ongoing Operation Rising Lion against Iran. Addressing personnel, Binder lauded their ability to track and eliminate Iranian commanders, transforming Iran, a nation 1,500 kilometers away, from a distant “third circle” threat into a primary “first circle” target. “We need to hunt them wherever they flee, and you’re succeeding in turning Iran from a far-off place into a battlefield we know how to handle,” he declared, as captured in IDF-released footage today at 6:00 PM.
Binder revealed that the IDF inflicted severe blows on Iran’s military leadership from the operation’s first night, eliminating around 30 commanders, including high-profile figures like chiefs of staff and air force commanders. “We hit their command and control hard on the first night, talking about 30 commanders, the names published are the most senior,” he said. He detailed a recent strike on a secret Iranian headquarters in the mountains, where some commanders escaped to another hideout in Tehran’s mountain range. “Twelve hours later, we struck the Chief of Staff of Khatam al-Anbiya, who fled to that location, thanks to excellent work by our command and control teams,” Binder noted, referring to the precision assassination of a key Iranian general.
The intelligence chief emphasized the operation’s urgency, stating, “The ability to deliver high-value targets in the coming days is critical. We need to bring many, increase the pace, and that’s exactly what we’re doing, because these are threats Israel cannot live with, period.” Operation Rising Lion, launched on June 13, has already destroyed 70 Iranian air defense batteries and killed senior figures like Maj. Gen. Ali Shadmani, disrupting Tehran’s military capabilities. Binder’s remarks underscore Israel’s resolve to neutralize Iran’s nuclear and missile threats, with the IDF continuing its aggressive campaign to ensure national security.