Israeli Air Force fighter jets, guided by precise intelligence from the IDF Intelligence Directorate, carried out strikes on command centers and assets belonging to the Internal Security Forces and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Tehran, Iran, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.
According to the IDF, these forces comprise various corps and command centers responsible for defending homeland security, suppressing threats, and maintaining the regime’s stability on behalf of the Iranian regime’s military.
As part of the operation, the headquarters of the Basij was targeted. The Basij is identified as one of the IRGC’s central armed bases of power and is responsible for enforcing Islamic law and reporting civilians who violate it to regime authorities. Additionally, the Alborz Corps–tasked with securing several cities in the Tehran District and ensuring the regime’s stability–was struck, along with the Intelligence and General Security Police under the Internal Security Forces, which the IDF described as integral components of the regime’s military forces.
“These command centers have significant military effect and additionally they impact the regime’s ability to impose control,” the IDF stated, adding that the strikes harmed the Iranian regime’s military capabilities.
Building on the outcome of these strikes, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the developments, stating on Sunday that Israel is “very close” to achieving its goals in Iran. He claimed significant damage had been inflicted on Iran’s ballistic missile program and nuclear facilities, according to The Times of Israel.
In a pre-recorded press conference following the US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, Netanyahu said Israel would not be drawn into a “war of attrition” with Tehran but emphasised the importance of completing the operation. “We won’t pursue our actions beyond what is needed to achieve [the goals], but we also won’t finish too soon,” he added. “When the objectives are achieved, then the operation is complete and the fighting will stop.”
Netanyahu said, “I have no doubt that this is a regime that wants to wipe us out, and that’s why we embarked on this operation to eliminate the two concrete threats to our existence: the nuclear threat and the ballistic missile threat. We are moving step by step towards achieving these goals. We are very, very close to completing them.”
He also noted that “very serious damage” had been inflicted on Iran’s nuclear site in Fordow, although he did not disclose details. Referring to Iran’s nuclear program, he added, “We are sending them back, we are removing the threat.”
The Pentagon on Sunday confirmed that the US had launched Operation Midnight Hammer, conducting precision strikes at three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
When asked about Iran’s 400 kilograms of 60-per-cent enriched uranium, Netanyahu said Israel has “interesting intel” on the issue but declined to elaborate. “We’ve been following that very closely… it’s an important component of a nuclear program,” he said.
Netanyahu said Israel was compelled to act as Tehran moved towards nuclear weaponisation following the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in September 2024. He added that Iran’s intention to build 300 ballistic missiles a month was a key factor for the timing of the campaign. According to him, over half of the ballistic missile launchers in Iran had been destroyed in the past 10 days.
He also said he shared his concerns with US President Donald Trump. “I told him of our need to act, and he understood it very well. And I knew that when push comes to shove, he would do the right thing,” Netanyahu said, adding, “He would do the right thing for America. He would do the right thing for the free world. He would do the right thing for civilisation.”
The Israeli Prime Minister also stressed that operations in Iran would help Israel achieve its objectives in Gaza. “Without the Iranian scaffolding, it all collapses,” he said, suggesting that Iran’s support is central to Hamas’s operations. He added that the war in Israel “could end tomorrow,” stating, “It could end today if Hamas surrenders, lays down all its arms, releases all the hostages. It’s over in a moment.”
The conflict in Gaza began after Hamas launched a major attack on Israel in 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. In response, Israel launched a military campaign vowing to destroy Hamas.
Hamas is currently believed to be holding 50 hostages, including 49 of the original 251 abducted on October 7 and the body of a soldier killed in 2014. Among them, the bodies of at least 28 have been confirmed dead by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). Twenty are believed to be alive, and there are concerns about the well-being of two others. (ANI)
