IDF pilot who bombed Iran – ‘We weren’t sure we’d come home’

Some IAF pilots left farewell letters for their families before the attack, says pilot who participated in Iranian bombing campaign.

By World Israel News Staff

An Israel Air Force pilot who carried out a historic mission to bomb strategic facilities in Iran told Hebrew-language media that he was unsure if he would return to Israel safely.

Major N., identified only by his first initial in Hebrew-language media reports, told the Walla website that he was thrilled to participate in the mission.

N. said that the mission was “every pilot’s dream,” due to its operational and logistical complexity and he was enthusiastic about confronting Iran directly.

The pilot, who is a married father, told Walla that he felt a “tremendous sense of duty” once he learned that the Israeli military would be “coming face to face with our greatest enemy.”

He added that he and the other pilots who participated in he mission “knew that we are fighting for our home” and Israel’s “right to exist.”

However, despite their enthusiasm for the mission, N. and his fellow pilots were realistic about the risks involved in the operation.

Adding to the pressure was the classified nature of the mission, meaning that N. could not tell his wife or other family members about the danger he was facing.

“Some of us left behind letters for our loved ones, in case we didn’t make it back,” N. told Walla.

“I prepared for the possibility that I, or my friends, may not return.”

While N. was not permitted to provide specific details about his role in the operation, he told Walla that he had helped destroy Iran’s anti-aircraft batteries.

N. said that he had flown back and forth between Israel and Iran several times during the mission.

The pilot added that he was proud to be part of a critical military success for Israel.

The Jewish State’s fight against Iran is “like David and Goliath in terms of the size of the Iranian state and the number of citizens,” N. said.

“We managed to surprise Iran and attack on a truly extraordinary level. I never imagined that something like that would happen. “