Israeli Air Force F-15 en route to Iran, April 2026. (IDF)
The canceled mission would have targeted hundreds of sites deep inside Iran.
By World Israel News Staff
A major Israeli strike targeting Iran was called off at the last minute, just before the mission was set to begin last week, the commander of the Israeli Air Force confirmed on Tuesday.
Maj. Gen. Omer Tischler, who assumed command of the Air Force in May, revealed in a letter to soldiers that the operation had been aborted only an hour before launch.
On June 8, Iran launched several missile barrages at Israel, with the Islamic Republic claiming it had successfully damaged Israeli Air Force bases.
“The entire Air Force was ready to take off for a broad strike sortie” that encompassed the bombing of “hundreds of targets in the heart of Iran,” Tischler wrote.
But, he added, “the strike was halted while we were briefing in the squadrons, just one hour before the departure for the sortie.”
Despite the cancellation of the larger operation, Tischler said the Air Force still carried out several precision strikes inside Iran that caused serious damage.
“We inflicted heavy blows to the Iranian leadership, defensive and offensive arrays, nuclear components, economy, chains of command and knowledge, and military and national industry, while significantly reducing the threat, extending the duration of the reconstruction, and preserving the ability to return to operate in Iran as needed,” Tischler wrote.
The letter did not explain why the operation was canceled. However, Hebrew-language media reports suggested Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu halted the strike following a heated phone call with President Donald Trump.
At the time, Trump told reporters that he had spoken with Netanyahu and urged him not to respond to the Iranian attack, arguing that a ceasefire agreement was close and should not be jeopardized.
Six days later, on June 14, Trump announced that Washington and Tehran had signed a memorandum of understanding that halted hostilities and opened the door to a longer-term ceasefire.
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