Having shown strategic patience in dealing with assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran later in July in a hope for the West to rein in Tel Aviv and stop it from further testing the Axis of Resistance and stop the Gaza war, Tehran decided to deal a strong blow to Tel Aviv just days after Israeli assassination of Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and IRGC's General Abbas Nilforoshan in Beirut.
In the attack, codenamed Operation True Promise II, 200 missiles were fired at the occupied territories in two stages, striking sensitive security and military sites deep in Tel Aviv and other cities. For the first time in this operation, Iran used Fatah hypersonic missile and Qadr and Emad long-range missiles, changing the rules of deterrence between Iran and the Israeli regime.
Although the Israeli officials, as ever, claimed to have intercepted many rockets to maintain internal morale and as part of severe news censorship, according to Iranian security officials, over 90 percent of these missiles hit their targets.
What areas were struck?
Since the Islamic Republic of Iran, unlike its Israeli enemy, does not target civilians, this time it targeted the sensitive and vital security and military sites in the occupied territories.
By targeting important military bases in the occupied territories, Iran powerfully hit Israel's strengths.
According to Major General Ali Bagheri, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, in the attack, the three main military air sites of the Israeli regime, including the Mossad headquarters, the Navatim air base as main hangar of the F35 fighters jets, the Hatzrim air base which was used for the assassination operation of Nasrallah, strategic radars, and the hangers of tanks and personnel carriers and the forces near Gaza were hit.
Currently, the Israeli regime has a relative air superiority over other countries in the region thanks to the fighters provided from the US , especially the F-35, but Iran showed that with its powerful missiles, it will destroy hangers of all of these fighter in the next round of its strikes to eliminate the only superiority factor of Tel Aviv.
Since the occupation army does not have the ability to confront the resistance forces on the ground and relies heavily on air power, the landing of Iranian missiles on air bases is the biggest nightmare of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the hardline ministers of his government, as after yesterday strikes nowhere in Israel is out of reach of the Iranian hypersonic missiles.
Another Israeli strength is the large number of well-equipped tanks and personnel carriers, which, with the help of air support, have gained relative advantages in the past and current wars in Gaza. Therefore, targeting tank and personnel carriers hangars was a serious warning to the leaders of the occupation regime that the Islamic Republic can paralyze the infantry of the Israeli army with massive attacks in the future if necessary, an infantry that has proven that if there are no tanks, it will not take a single step to confront the resistance groups in Lebanon and Palestine, and they always hide themselves in tanks and personnel carriers to avoid enemy attacks.
Data on Israeli military bases
The bases that were targeted by the Iranian armed forces are of strategic importance from a military point of view, and this issue will intensify the concern of Tel Aviv leaders.
- Nevatim air base, which is also known as the Air Force Base 28, is located 15 kilometers southeast of the city of Beer She'va in the Negev desert. This base is one of the largest air bases in the occupied territories and has three runways of different lengths. With a runway of 3,400 meters, this base is the hangar and the main base of Israeli F-35 fighters. Stealth fighter jets, transport planes, fuel aircraft, and electronic reconnaissance/detection aircraft, as well as the so-called Israeli Air Force One planes are stationed at this base. Following Iran's attack on the occupied territories in April 2024, this base was damaged, and according to satellite and video images, about 7 ballistic missiles hit this base.
- Hatzerim Airbase, which did not survive Iran's missile attack, is a military airport located in the Be'ar Sheva and is located at an altitude of 220 meters above sea level. The base was built in the early 1960s and became operational in October 1966. From 1968 to 2015, there was a helicopter squadron at this base, which was transferred to Palmachim Airbase in recent years. Since 1969, Flying Tiger squadron of jet trainers has been based in Hatzerim, for many years flying the two-seat TA-4H Skyhawk Ayit, as well as its single-seat version A-4H/N.
- The Glilot base of the Unit 8200 that is responsible for intelligence gathering and the headquarters of the Mossad around Tel Aviv were among the sites targeted by the Iranian missiles. This base is the headquarters of the military intelligence department of the Israeli army known as Aman and the headquarters of important units such as the Unit 8200 and the Unit 9900 that are responsible for visual intelligence. This base is located in the Ramat Sharon neighborhood near the city of Herzliya, northeast of the Glilot intersection, 1.5 kilometers from Tel Aviv and about 110 kilometers from the Israeli-Lebanese border. Mossad headquarters and headquarters of military schools in Dayan base, the Intelligence Heritage Center and the memorial site of forces of the army intelligence units are located near this base.
Its area reaches about 250,000 square meters. This base is the training center for Aman and is the headquarter of Aman Communications Battalion, and is one of the largest wiretapping centers in Israel. Since this base is the center of the military intelligence circle of the army and the headquarters of its Unit 8200 and Unit 9900 that are responsible for giving early warning before any offensive operation against the occupied territories, it was targeted by Iran and even in recent days by Lebanon's Hezbollah. This means that the resistance has dealt a heavy blow and a great insult to the Israeli army, especially since this base is located deep in occupied Palestine. The Military intelligence department is one of the main departments of the Israeli army, which is responsible for carrying out terror operations, and the Unit 8200 collects the information needed to carry out these operations. Therefore, targeting this vital and sensitive center is a warning to the Israeli leaders that the headquarters of the assassination of the resistance commanders is now with the fire range of missiles.
Tel Nof Airbase was another site that was targeted by Iranian missiles. Tel Nof Airbase is a military airport that has a runway with a length of 2,388 meters. This airport is located in the city of Rahovot and is located at an altitude of 59 meters above sea level. It is also known as the oldest Israeli air force base, which was built during the British mandate over Palestine. Tel Nof hosts two strike fighters, two helicopters and a drone squadron. Also, the Manat Flight Test Center and several special units of the Israeli Defense Forces, including Unit 669 (Heliborne Combat Search and Rescue) and the training center of the Parachute Brigade are located in this base.
Iran's major data bank from the strategic centers of enemy
By striking the Hatzrim base, from which the operation that assassinated Nasrallah was launched, Iran sent a message to Tel Aviv leaders that it is strong in terms of intelligence collection and has accurate information from all the operation centers of the Israeli regime, especially the centers used to assassinate resistance commanders, and from now on all the sabotage movements of Tel Aviv are under watch of Iran's weapons.
The highlight of the Operation True Promise II was the Iranian missiles hitting around Gaza. Since Netanyahu's government is seeking to occupy the northern areas of Gaza these days in order to guarantee the security of the settlers, the landing of hypersonic missiles in the vicinity of Gaza sent this message to the occupying enemy that even if they manage to occupy half of Gaza, they cannot protect the settlers.
The Operation True Promise II was the second message from
Iran to Israeli leaders that escalation in the region and new adventures
in Lebanon not only will not help them reach their goals, but also with
the missile attacks deep into the occupied territories and boosting the
"ugnity of fronts strategy", Israel will sink in a security
encirclement from which even the Westerners can not rescue it.
/129