‘One-Third Missile Launchers Dismantled’: Israel Says It Achieved ‘Aerial Superiority’ Over Iran

Last Updated:June 16, 2025, 16:41 is

Iran, meanwhile, said it shot down eight Israeli drones, including a US-made MQ-9 Reaper, following the Israeli strikes

Israel on Monday claimed it has achieved “aerial superiority” over Iran and has control of its skies from the western part of the country to its capital Tehran.

Iran, meanwhile, said it shot down eight Israeli drones, including a US-made MQ-9 Reaper, following the Israeli strikes.

The Israeli military said it has degraded Iranian air defences and missile systems to the point that its planes can now operate over Tehran without facing major threats. In a post on social media, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) enumerated what they accomplished in Iran on Sunday night (June 15).

The IDF said it has dismantled one-third of the Iranian regime’s missile launchers, including surface-to-surface missiles. Fighter jets and aircraft hit “100 military targets” in central Iran’s Isfahan, while destroying missile storage sites and launchers ready to target Israel, it added.

“What did the IAF accomplish in Iran last night? 20+ surface-to-surface missiles were dismantled minutes before they were to be launched toward Israel’s home front. Approx. 100 military targets were struck in Isfahan, central Iran. Around 50 fighter jets and aircraft identified and struck missile storage sites and surface-to-surface missile launchers that were ready for launch toward Israel,” the IDF said in a post on X.

“With this, we can now say that 1/3 of the Iranian regime’s missile launchers have been dismantled,” it added.

The Israeli military’s significant strikes, named ‘Operation Rising Lion’, was a preemptive strike aimed at neutralising threats. It claimed that the missiles were dismantled minutes before they were to be launched towards Israel.

The action comes as part of a broader conflict escalation, following Israel’s initial strikes on Iran starting June 13, which included targeting nuclear sites and key military figures.

WHAT DID ISRAEL TARGET?

According to top intelligence sources, the IDF confirmed full aerial operational control over Tehran and western Iran, making it capable of unrestricted strikes on military and nuclear targets.

This includes the destruction of one-third of Iran’s missile launchers and critical air defence systems like the Russian-made S-300 and Tor-M1, the sources said.

The sources told News18 that more than 200 fighter jets, including F-35s, F-15s, and F-16s, executed coordinated attacks, targeting nuclear facilities in Natanz and Fordow. Air defence infrastructure in the Tabriz airfield has been rendered unusable, they said. The command centres and missile depots of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were targeted, they added.

Defence minister Israel Katz warned Tehran residents to evacuate their homes near regime targets, leading to widespread panic and exodus from major cities.

WHAT DID IRAN SAY?

Iran’s Tasnim News Agency said Iranian air defenses shot down eight Israeli drones, included a US-made MQ-9 Reaper, over Dehloran county in western Ilam province.

The action was taken following Israeli strikes on several Iranian cities, said a post on social media platform X.

Intelligence sources said the Israeli strikes have killed at least 224 while 24 were killed by Iranian missile strikes on civilian districts like Tel Aviv and Haifa. Israel attacked residential areas, hospitals, power grids, and water systems causing shortages and forcing civilians into rural areas.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Intelligence sources said Israel’s air dominance has exposed Iran’s military inadequacies and propaganda. Civilian evacuations reflect loss of faith in the Iranian regime with reports of cross-class protests, they said.

They also said with nuclear capabilities degraded and leadership decimated, Iran faces existential threats not just externally but from its own people. The regime’s survival now depends on suppressing domestic dissent and win the conflict with Israel in any case, they added.

Retirees, workers, and disabled citizens rallied against inflation in more than 80 cities, the sources said. Demonstrations sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death in 2022 are starting again with women burning hijabs and chanting slogans of death to the establishment, they said.

Security forces struggled to contain the unrest due to resource diversion and military focus on Israeli threats, they said. There are also reports of Iranians celebrating Israeli strikes, which shows the collapse of the regime’s legitimacy, they added.

The sources added that Iran-US nuclear talks now stand cancelled, even as Russia and China have refrained from condemning Israeli strikes.

News Desk

The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More

The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More

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