Senior military officials emphasized that all offensive operations conducted inside Iran have so far been carried out exclusively by Israel.
By The IDF Club
The IDF said Monday that it is preparing for at least several days of fighting against Iran and is also planning for the possibility that the current escalation could evolve into a prolonged military campaign.
The assessment came after Israel launched multiple waves of strikes across Iran overnight and into Monday morning in response to Tehran’s missile attacks on Israel.
According to the military, Israeli aircraft have carried out several major strike waves so far, targeting ballistic missile infrastructure, military facilities, petrochemical sites, and strategic air defense systems across the country.
Senior military officials emphasized that all offensive operations conducted inside Iran have so far been carried out exclusively by Israel. However, the United States assisted Israel’s air defense efforts during Iran’s missile attacks, helping intercept some of the ballistic missiles launched toward Israeli territory.
The latest round of fighting began Sunday after Israel struck Hezbollah command centers in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district following renewed rocket fire on northern Israel. Iranian leaders had warned that any Israeli attack on Beirut would trigger a response from Tehran.
According to the IDF, Iran initially launched 11 ballistic missiles toward Israel on Sunday night in direct response to Israel’s strike on Hezbollah command centers in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district.
Following Israel’s retaliatory strikes inside Iran early Monday morning, Tehran launched additional missile barrages, bringing the total number of Iranian ballistic missiles fired since Sunday evening to between 22 and 24.
Two missiles were also launched from Yemen during the escalation. One was intercepted, while the other fell before reaching Israeli territory.
As Iran’s missile attack unfolded Sunday night, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir convened the General Staff and delivered a clear message regarding Israel’s response.
“The IDF will strike the enemy with force once the green light is given,” Zamir told senior commanders.
Military officials said they had anticipated an Iranian response following the Beirut strike, though uncertainty remained regarding the timing.
“We assessed that Iran would act, but we were not certain about the timing of the operation,” a senior officer said.
At around 4:30 a.m. Monday, the IDF announced the start of a new wave of strikes inside Iran. The military later said Zamir and senior IDF commanders had spent the night conducting continuous assessments and were directing operations against Iran from the Israeli Air Force command bunker.
“The Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, and senior IDF officials have conducted ongoing situation assessments over the past several hours and are commanding the IDF’s strikes in Iran from the Air Force operations center,” the military said.
The military also stressed that Israeli forces remain on high alert across all fronts.
“The IDF is at full readiness in both offense and defense,” the statement said, adding that the military is prepared to continue operating “in all arenas against anyone who threatens the State of Israel.”
The military also rejected Iranian attempts to establish what Israeli officials described as new “rules of the game” linking Israeli operations in Lebanon to direct retaliation from Tehran.
“We have no equations,” a senior IDF officer said. “The Iranians are trying to limit us through equations, but we will not allow them to create a new reality in the Middle East.”
The officer added that Israel will continue striking Hezbollah targets in Beirut whenever operational opportunities arise.
According to the military, Sunday’s strike in Dahiyeh, which triggered the latest escalation with Iran, eliminated two mid-level Hezbollah commanders operating from a command center responsible for explosive drone activities.
The comments suggest Israel has no intention of accepting Iranian attempts to deter future operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Military officials also framed the current confrontation as a continuation of Operation Roaring Lion rather than a separate campaign.
“From our perspective, we are continuing Operation Roaring Lion on day 42, after a two-month pause,” a senior officer said. “We have an opportunity to leverage the achievements.”
The IDF announced earlier Monday that dozens of Israeli fighter jets had completed a large-scale strike against strategic Iranian air defense systems that Tehran had recently deployed in an effort to restore capabilities damaged during the earlier phase of the conflict.
According to the military, the destruction of those systems further expands the Israeli Air Force’s freedom of action over Iranian airspace.
As the campaign continues, close operational coordination between Israel and the United States remains in place. Similar to Operation Roaring Lion, American military representatives are currently stationed in the IDF’s operations center in Tel Aviv, while Israeli representatives are embedded at U.S. Air Force headquarters in Florida.
With Israel preparing for additional days of combat and Iran continuing its missile attacks, military officials say the current phase of the conflict is likely only beginning.
