A senior Israeli Air Force official briefed reporters Friday morning regarding the strike on Iran's nuclear and military facilities.
"We launched the operation after months of planning during a difficult multi-front war. It was a complex and dangerous mission, 1,500 kilometers from Israel, involving over 100 aircraft," the source said. "Iran is a destructive enemy — we are determined to fulfill our mission."
The source noted that the strike targeted senior regime figures, top military officials, nuclear scientists, command centers, and components of surface-to-surface missiles, UAVs, and air defense systems.
"This is an evolving operation," the source said, adding, "we will continue to act with structured planning to meet offensive and defensive goals."
Operational conditions for the mission were carefully selected, and the timing was Israel's alone, and chosen for a strong, decisive launch.
On the challenge of intercepting UAVs, the source explained: "We’ve been intercepting UAVs for 615 days now. We have fighter jets and both close and distant defense elements along our borders, as well as multiple defense layers to prevent damage to the home front as much as possible. It’s not hermetic — Iran has significant capabilities. We are making every effort, in coordination with the Home Front Command, to provide optimal protection."
Regarding the sirens which sounded around 3:00 a.m. Friday morning across Israel, the source explained: "The decision to issue a broad warning overnight stemmed from our awareness that the operation could prompt an immediate Iranian response, so we alerted the public. We placed the entire country on alert, wanting everyone to be prepared. The decision was made that, given the uncertainty, it was better to activate the system and wake everyone to ensure they were near protected spaces."
"Thanks to our actions — and other factors — we were positively surprised that there was no immediate retaliation.
'The recent announcement by the Home Front Command regarding updated guidelines followed an IDF assessment that we currently have temporary control over the UAV threat, allowing us to provide sufficient advance warning to Israeli citizens for taking shelter."