Crazy Footage! Israel Pounds Iran in Wave of Devastating Strikes | WATCH
In a major escalation, Israel launched widespread airstrikes across Iran, destroying F-14 fighter jets, missile systems, and cyber targets. As Operation Rising Lion intensifies, Tehran reels from infrastructure damage, drone losses, and high-level assassinations.
Twitter
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) intensified its military campaign against Iran on Saturday, striking critical targets across the country, including three F-14 Tomcat fighter jets in central Iran, as part of Operation Rising Lion, launched on June 13. IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin confirmed the destruction of the U.S.-made jets, signaling a major blow to Iran’s struggling air force. Footage released by the IDF shows the jets obliterated on the ground, likely near Isfahan, a key military hub.
The strikes extended to multiple Iranian cities. In Tehran, the IAF targeted the Imam Hussein University compound, linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the Iranian cyber police headquarters. Iranian media claimed an Israeli drone was used in the Tehran attack. Additional strikes hit the Basij militia headquarters in Behbahan, southwestern Iran, and a burning oil terminal in Mashhad. Military targets in Shiraz were also struck, though details remain unconfirmed. The IDF’s campaign has disrupted Iran’s infrastructure, with partial internet restoration reported by morning after widespread outages.
The IDF reported neutralizing 950 explosive drones in Iran before launch and destroying approximately 120 surface-to-surface missile launchers—about a third of Iran’s long-range arsenal. Defrin noted that Iran’s missile capabilities are “far below” their pre-operation levels. Iran, however, launched over 1,000 drones toward Israel in the past week, most intercepted outside Israeli airspace. Iranian media reported a strategic shift, reducing missile salvos but enhancing accuracy and impact with the Khorramshahr-4 missile, capable of deploying 26-80 smaller warheads.
In Qom, a precision strike on June 20 eliminated Saeed Izadi, Quds Force Palestine Corps commander, for his role in arming Hamas before the October 7, 2023, attack. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also revealed that Cypriot authorities, with Israeli assistance, thwarted an IRGC plot targeting Israeli citizens in Cyprus, reflecting Iran’s global retaliation efforts. Iran reported capturing Mark Kaufman, a dual German citizen cyclist, accused of photographing sensitive nuclear and military sites, including missile tunnels, under U.S. guidance. Iranian authorities also claimed to have arrested collaborators with the “Zionist regime.”
In Syria, the capture of Bashar al-Assad’s cousin was reported, though unverified. Tehran’s markets appeared deserted, and a new billboard was erected in the capital, while Iranian media released a video detailing strategic Israeli sites, signaling defiance. Additional footage showed damage to a police building, likely the cyber police headquarters.
The strikes follow earlier IDF actions, including the June 13 killing of Aminpour Joudaki, head of the IRGC Aerospace Force’s 2nd UAV Brigade, and attacks on nuclear facilities like Natanz. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that U.S. involvement would be “very dangerous,” denying backchannel talks via Cyprus.
