IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir delivered his first statement this evening (Thursday) since the beginning of Operation Roaring Lion, declaring that Israel has additional surprise moves in its campaign against Iran.
“After completing the phase of the surprise opening blow, in which we established air superiority and suppressed the ballistic missile array, we are moving to the next stage of the campaign, in which we will intensify the strike against the foundations of the regime and its military capabilities. We have additional surprise moves, which I do not intend to reveal. We will pursue our enemies, all of them, and reach them," Zamir declared.
At the beginning of his remarks, he said, “Less than a week ago, we launched Operation ‘Roaring Lion.’ For six days now, we have been striking the Iranian terror regime without pause. The operation was planned in secrecy by thousands of soldiers from various branches across the Israel Defense Forces and in close cooperation with our ally, the United States. The operation is proceeding at the pace we set in advance."
Zamir noted that “in the surprise opening strike carried out on Saturday morning, dozens of munitions were dropped on three targets. In just 40 seconds, about 40 senior figures of the Iranian terror regime were eliminated, headed by the regime’s leader, Ali Khamenei. His life’s goal was to destroy the State of Israel, and he even planned a detailed program to achieve that."
He added that “Israeli Air Force pilots have so far carried out 2,500 strikes and dropped more than 6,000 munitions. Within 24 hours, our pilots paved the way to Tehran. We destroyed about 80 percent of the air defense systems and achieved near-complete air superiority over Iranian skies. Thanks to that, and to high-quality intelligence, we are striking the ballistic missiles that pose a direct threat to Israeli civilians. We have neutralized and destroyed more than 60 percent of the ballistic missile launchers-a very significant achievement that reduces the damage to the home front and saves many lives. This is an ongoing effort, but I emphasize: the threat has not yet been removed-every missile is lethal and poses a danger."
The Chief of Staff also addressed the fighting in the north. “Hezbollah made a strategic mistake and, contrary to the interests of the citizens of Lebanon, chose to join the campaign-it is paying a heavy price for that. We are striking forcefully, both on the front and deep inside Lebanon. I ordered IDF forces to move forward and deepen the line of control along the border while positioning themselves at key points in southern Lebanon. Tonight we eliminated the head of Hezbollah’s fire array. He was known by the nickname Fidaa. Fidaa was responsible for the deaths of many Israelis and personally commanded the anti-tank missile fire in which Yochai Kalangel and Dor Haim Nini were killed."
“There will be no more equations. We will continue to act to protect the security of the residents of the north. We will operate relentlessly to remove the threat, and we will not relent from the goal of disarming Hezbollah," Zamir concluded.