Egypt Daily News – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the Israeli Air Force controls the skies over Tehran, adding: “We are moving toward achieving our two main goals: eliminating the nuclear threat and eliminating the missile threat.”
During a visit to Tel Nof Airbase in central Israel, he continued: “We say to the residents of Tehran: evacuate your places and we are taking the necessary measures.”
For his part, Israeli military spokesperson General Efi Defrin said on Monday that more than 120 missile launch platforms, about a third of Iran’s total have been destroyed since the start of the war last Friday.
In a press conference, he added that the Israeli Air Force has achieved “complete air superiority” over the Iranian capital, Tehran.
He noted that the Israeli Air Force has destroyed a third of Iran’s ballistic missile launch platforms and is successfully disrupting “large portions” of its attacks on Israel.
According to Defrin, 65 ballistic missiles and dozens of drones were launched at Israel in two successive attacks on Sunday night and Monday morning. Most were intercepted, though three managed to get through, killing eight people. He added that Iran had intended to launch at least twice as many missiles during the night.
He said that the Israeli Air Force targeted 20 ballistic missiles simultaneously in Iran before they could be launched. He also noted that around 50 fighter jets and drones identified and struck missile storage sites and command centers where Iranian soldiers had gathered to launch the missiles.
Israel launched Operation “Rising Lion,” which began with a surprise attack in the early hours of Friday morning. The operation killed several senior Iranian military leaders and caused damage to nuclear facilities.
Israel stated that the campaign would escalate in the coming days. In response, Iran vowed to “open the gates of hell” on Israel.
The Israeli military said the current objective of the campaign is not regime change in Iran but rather the dismantling of Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Israel said the military operation against Iran could last for weeks.
Iranian television announces the launch of a new batch of missiles toward Israel (Monday Evening)
The official Iranian television announced the launch of a new batch of missiles toward Israel on Monday evening, marking the fourth day of military escalation between the two countries.
The television stated that “a new salvo of missiles has begun against the occupied territories,” according to the French Press Agency.
For the fourth consecutive day, Israel and Iran continued exchanging air and missile strikes on Monday. Tel Aviv launched attacks on various Iranian military and strategic targets, while Tehran confirmed that there are “no limits” to its response to Israel after it “crossed all red lines.” Iran has already launched several waves of hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, causing the deaths of at least 24 people.
Today’s attacks focused on infrastructure in both countries. Iran vowed to carry out “more destructive missile strikes against vital targets” in Israel. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian emphasized that Iran does not intend to develop nuclear weapons but seeks to maintain its right to nuclear energy and research.
The Iranian Red Crescent announced the killing of three of its members in an Israeli strike while they were carrying out their work in the capital, Tehran. In a statement, it said, “This incident is not only a violation of international humanitarian law but also a clear attack on humanity and ethics,” adding that its three members were helping the injured in northwest Tehran.
