‘Israel rules the skies of Tehran,’ says PM as IDF destroys 1/3 of Iranian missile launchers

Israel has achieved total air superiority over Iran, IDF and Netanyahu declare, as Israeli warplanes cut Iran’s ballistic missile launch capacity by one-third.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Israel has achieved total air superiority over large portions of Iran, including the capital city of Tehran, the Israeli military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Monday, as Israel Air Force warplanes continue to target Iranian ballistic missiles.

The IDF has destroyed more than 120 surface-to-surface missile launchers since the beginning of Operation Rising Lion last Friday, IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said on Monday.

That equals roughly one-third of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers prior to June 13, significantly reducing its ability to carry out massive attacks on Israeli cities.

More than 20 ballistic missiles were destroyed on the ground Sunday night, Defrin added, reducing the scope of the latest Iranian attack and forcing additional launching crews to take evasive action.

“These strikes caused the regime to launch only half of the missiles it had planned in last night’s barrage,” Defrin said.

Israel’s military declared Monday that the IAF has effective air superiority over large parts of Iran.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said during a visit Monday to the Tel Nof air base in central Israel that Israel’s air superiority coverage also includes Tehran.

“The Israeli Air Force rules the skies over Tehran,” Netanyahu said. “We are striking regime targets, in contrast to the criminal Iranian regime, which targets civilians.”

On Sunday, IDF forces assassinated two senior Iranian military intelligence officials, including Mohammed Kazemi, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intel chief, and his deputy, Mohammed Hassan Mohaqiq.

Despite the losses to Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal, its attacks on Israel overnight left eight dead after buildings were struck in Petah Tikva, Bnei Brak, and Tel Aviv.