In a single night that is already being called historic, the Israeli Air Force unleashed more than 200 combat aircraft against roughly 500 targets across Iran, in what officials describe as the largest, most complex air operation in its history.

Launching from multiple bases and dispersal strips, waves of F‑35I stealth fighters, F‑15I strike jets, drones, electronic‑warfare platforms and refueling tankers filled the skies, stitched together by a real‑time command network shared with U.S. assets in the region. The mission: shatter key pillars of Iran’s military machine before it could mount a massive counter‑barrage.

According to Israeli briefings, the target list included ballistic‑missile fields, drone factories, air‑defense radars, IRGC command centers, underground depots and cyber nodes around Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad and coastal bases on the Gulf. Decoy drones and cyberattacks reportedly went in first, blinding radars and sowing confusion before the main strike packages crossed the line.

Iranian media insists many missiles and bombs were intercepted, but even state television has admitted “serious damage” to several strategic sites. Shaky videos from the ground show rolling secondary explosions, burning fuel depots and residents fleeing past shattered windows as air‑defense tracers streak overhead.

Regional capitals are on edge. Gulf states quietly moved jets and missile defenses to high alert, while Russia and China demanded an emergency UN session. Analysts warn that if this is only “Night One” of Israel’s campaign, Tehran’s answer — through missiles, drones and proxies — could drag the entire region into a drawn‑out, destabilizing war.