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“We are fighting shoulder to shoulder out of shared interests and shared values,” Zamir said.
By United with Israel Staff
Israel has destroyed more than 60 percent of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers during the opening phase of Operation “Roaring Lion,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said during a press briefing Thursday night, describing the achievement as a major blow to Tehran’s ability to threaten Israeli civilians.
Speaking days after the launch of the campaign, Zamir said the operation has already delivered significant damage to Iran’s military infrastructure while dramatically reducing the missile threat to Israel’s home front.
“We have neutralized and destroyed more than 60 percent of the ballistic missile launchers,” Zamir said. “This is a significant achievement that reduces damage to the home front and saves many lives.”
According to the IDF chief, the campaign began with a carefully planned surprise strike early Saturday morning that eliminated dozens of senior Iranian regime figures.
“In just 40 seconds about 40 senior officials of the Iranian terror regime were eliminated, led by the regime’s leader Ali Khamenei,” Zamir said.
Since the start of the operation, Israeli Air Force pilots have conducted an extensive wave of strikes across Iran. Zamir said the IAF has carried out 2,500 attacks and dropped more than 6,000 munitions, rapidly dismantling large portions of Iran’s air defense network.
“Within 24 hours our pilots opened the path to Tehran,” he said, adding that roughly 80 percent of Iran’s air defense systems have been destroyed, allowing Israeli aircraft to operate with near total freedom over Iranian airspace.
Zamir said Israel is now moving into the next phase of the campaign, which will focus on further weakening the regime and its military capabilities.
“We have additional surprising moves in hand which I will not reveal,” he said. “We will pursue our enemies and reach them all.”
At the same time, Zamir warned that the missile threat has not yet been fully eliminated.
“The threat has not yet been removed. Every missile is deadly and poses a danger,” he said.
The IDF chief also pointed to the close operational coordination between Israel and the United States during the campaign, describing the cooperation between the two militaries as unprecedented.
“We are fighting shoulder to shoulder out of shared interests and shared values,” Zamir said.
Israel has also expanded operations along its northern border after Hezbollah joined the conflict, with Israeli forces striking targets across southern Lebanon while advancing positions along key areas near the frontier.
Despite the progress, Zamir stressed that the campaign is ongoing and will continue until the threat to Israel is removed.
“This is a historic campaign intended to secure our existence and our future here for generations,” he said.
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