The Israeli military said on Monday it had gained control of airspace over Tehran and destroyed a third of Iran’s surface-to-surface missile launch pads.
The casualties mounted on the fourth day of the conflict between the two regional powers.
Military spokesperson Effie Defrin said that more than 50 Israeli fighter jets and precision missiles were involved in the strikes overnight.
This was targeted and destroyed over 120 Iranian launch pads.
Missile depots and production facilities were also hit, he said.
According to Defrin, Iran launched 65 missiles and dozens of drones at Israel overnight apparently only about half of what Iran’s military had intended to fire.
“We thwarted a significant portion of the planned attack.
“We can now say that we have achieved full air superiority in the skies over Tehran,’’ he said.
He added that Israeli forces were continuing to target units actively attempting to launch missiles or engage Israeli aircraft.
Since Friday, Israel has carried out widespread strikes on Iranian territory, including nuclear sites, defence installations, urban targets, and oil and gas infrastructure.
According to the military, the attacks have also killed several high-ranking officers and nuclear scientists.
Defrin reiterated that the operation’s central aim is to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.
He said strikes would now expand further east into Iran.
“We still have difficult days ahead,but we will get through them together and emerge victorious,” he said.
Iranian strikes kill eight
Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz on Monday promised harsh retaliation against Tehran following a fresh wave of deadly Iranian rocket attacks on Israeli cities overnight.
Iran had carried out targeted shots at the civilian home front in Israel, he said, adding that “residents of Tehran will pay the price and soon.’’
According to emergency services, eight people were killed and 92 injured in the overnight attacks.
The total number of fatalities in Israel since Friday now stands at 23.
Emergency officials reported four strikes in the Tel Aviv area.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said the embassy’s branch office in Tel Aviv sustained “minor damage from concussions’’ caused by a nearby impact, but no injuries were reported.
Iran casualties mount
At least 224 people have been killed in Iran since the Israeli attacks began last week, the Health Ministry said.
Some 1,277 had been injured, a ministry official wrote on X on Sunday. More than 90 per cent of the casualties were civilians, the spokesman said.
Iranian media reported that an Israeli strike hit a hospital in the western city of Kermanshah, with a video from the Shargh newspaper showing a damaged intensive care unit and a blood-stained bed.
An Israeli army spokesman said the reports are under investigation.
Under international humanitarian law, hospitals are protected civilian sites and may only be targeted if clearly used for military purposes. (dpa/NAN)
