Israel Defence Forces (IDF) Spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin on Friday outlined the extent of damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear and missile programs during recent military operations, stating that Israel had been “left with no choice” but to carry out the strikes, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Defrin said that Israel had previously attempted to prevent Iran’s nuclear and missile development “behind the scenes.” However, with intelligence suggesting that Iran had amassed enough nuclear material to assemble several bombs and was ramping up missile production to expand its arsenal from 2,500 to 8,000 missiles within two years, Israel opted to act.
According to The Jerusalem Post, the opening surprise strike targeted dozens of senior military officers, 11 nuclear scientists, and multiple development sites. Simultaneously, the Israel Air Force (IAF) hit aerial defence systems, including radar arrays, launch facilities, and production centers, resulting in Israel gaining air superiority over western Iran within hours.
Defrin noted that the surprise nature of the offensive prevented a far larger Iranian counterattack. The 12-day campaign focused primarily on eliminating Iran’s nuclear enrichment and missile development infrastructure. He highlighted that US strikes on the Fordow facility and Israeli strikes on Natanz had prevented Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon “at this time.”
The Jerusalem Post further reported that the IAF targeted thousands of centrifuge production sites and other critical facilities essential for nuclear bomb assembly. Defrin said the elimination of 11 nuclear scientists had significantly delayed Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
The second key focus of the strikes was Iran’s missile infrastructure. The IDF reportedly struck more than 30 missile production and launch facilities across the country, including factories making navigation systems crucial for long-range missiles. Defrin said the killing of over 30 senior Iranian military commanders helped deter more severe retaliation.
The Jerusalem Post added that during the operations, over 50% of Iran’s launchers and hundreds of ballistic missiles were destroyed, along with over 80% of aerial defence systems. Iran launched more than 530 missiles and 1,100 drones at Israel, of which 99% of the drones were intercepted.
Defrin concluded by warning that despite the operation’s success in curbing what he called an “existential threat,” the Iranian regime remained intent on destroying Israel.
