Latest news with #IsraeliAirForce
West Australian
2 hours ago
- Politics
- West Australian
Israel-Iran war: Residents in Beersheba rocked by Iranian missile strikes, Israel hits dozens of targets
Residents in southern Israel have been rocked by more Iranian missile strikes while Israel has continued to hit dozens of targets in Iran, as the conflict over nuclear sites and weapons enters its eighth day. On Friday morning, an Iranian ballistic missile struck just outside several apartment buildings in Beersheba, causing heavy damage and injuries. Images shared on social media show buildings on fire, with firefighters working to put out blazes. Dr Shafir Botner, a paramedic school director from MDA, Israel's national Emergency Medical Service, who is on the scene in the south, said MDA teams were searching all apartments to check for injuries. 'Luckily, so far we've only found six people who were lightly injured,' he said in a video posted to X. MDA says those injured by the shockwave suffered blunt trauma and smoke inhalation, as well as acute anxiety. In today's conflict, the Israeli Air Force has also struck three ballistic missile launchers primed for an attack on Israel, along with an Iranian military commander who was operating at the launch site in Iran, The Times of Israel reports. Israel's military says more than 60 Israeli Air Force fighter jets also hit dozens of targets in Iran, including the Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research headquarters. 'As part of the ongoing efforts to degrade the Iranian regime's nuclear weapons program, the IDF struck the SPND headquarters in Tehran,' the military said. 'The SPND headquarters is used for research and development of advanced technologies and weapons supporting the Iranian regime's military capabilities.' Israel launched blistering attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear and military structures on Friday, deploying warplanes and drones to target key facilities, killing top generals and six scientists. Israel has claimed the barrage code-named 'Operation Rising Lion' was necessary before Iran got any closer to building an atomic weapon. Iran has retaliated against Israel's airstrike campaign by launching some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel. As of day seven of the operation, Israel's MDA says teams have treated 1,007 casualties in Israel, including 23 fatalities and 14 in a serious condition. Meanwhile, a week of Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 657 people and wounded 2,037 others, the Washington-based Human Rights Activist group said Friday. The latest missile strikes on Israel came after US President Donald Trump said he would hold off on any US intervention in the conflict for another two weeks, in a bid to give the Islamic Republic one last chance of coming to a negotiation. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday (local time) that she was delivering a direct message from Mr Trump, stressing that it should come as no surprise that the US President is firmly committed to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb. Ms Leavitt quoted Mr Trump, saying: 'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.' Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the decision of whether the US should enter the conflict rests solely with Mr Trump. 'He'll do what's good for the United States, and I'll do what's good for the State of Israel,' the Prime Minister said, adding, 'as the saying goes — every contribution is welcome.' Mr Netanyahu's comments follow his signal that Israel has the firepower to strike all of Iran's nuclear sites, including the heavily fortified Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, buried deep beneath a mountain. 'We will achieve all our objectives and hit all of their nuclear facilities. We have the capability to do that,' he said when asked directly about Fordow. Already, Israel's campaign has targeted Iran's enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran and a nuclear site in Isfahan. Its strikes have also killed top generals and six nuclear scientists. Iran's military leaders had vowed earlier this week that Israel would soon see more attacks. 'The operations carried out so far have been solely for the purpose of warning and deterrence,' Gen. Abdul Rahim Mousavi, the commander in chief of Iran's army, said in a video. 'The punishment operation will be carried out soon.'
Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Buildings ablaze as Israel rocked by more missile strikes
Residents in southern Israel have been rocked by more Iranian missile strikes while Israel has continued to hit dozens of targets in Iran, as the conflict over nuclear sites and weapons enters its eighth day. On Friday morning, an Iranian ballistic missile struck just outside several apartment buildings in Beersheba, causing heavy damage and injuries. Images shared on social media show buildings on fire, with firefighters working to put out blazes. Dr Shafir Botner, a paramedic school director from MDA, Israel's national Emergency Medical Service, who is on the scene in the south, said MDA teams were searching all apartments to check for injuries. 'Luckily, so far we've only found six people who were lightly injured,' he said in a video posted to X. MDA says those injured by the shockwave suffered blunt trauma, smoke inhalation, as well as acute anxiety. In today's conflict, the Israeli Air Force has also struck three ballistic missile launchers primed for an attack on Israel, along with an Iranian military commander who was operating at the launch site in Iran, The Times of Israel reports. Israel's military says more than 60 Israeli Air Force fighter jets also hit dozens of targets in Iran, including the Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research headquarters. 'As part of the ongoing efforts to degrade the Iranian regime's nuclear weapons program, the IDF struck the SPND headquarters in Tehran,' the military said. 'The SPND headquarters is used for research and development of advanced technologies and weapons supporting the Iranian regime's military capabilities.' If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. Israel launched blistering attacks on the heart of Iran's nuclear and military structures on Friday, deploying warplanes and drones to target key facilities, killing top generals and six scientists. Israel has claimed the barrage code-named 'Operation Rising Lion' was necessary before Iran got any closer to building an atomic weapon. Iran has retaliated against Israel's airstrike campaign by launching some 400 missiles and hundreds of drones at Israel. As of day seven of the operation, Israel's MDA says teams have treated 1,007 casualties in Israel, including 23 fatalities and 14 in a serious condition. Meanwhile, a week of Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 657 people and wounded 2,037 others, the Washington-based Human Rights Activist group said Friday. The latest missile strikes on Israel came after US President Donald Trump said he would hold off on any US intervention in the conflict for another two weeks, in a bid to give the Islamic Republic one last chance of coming to a negotiation. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday (local time) that she was delivering a direct message from Mr Trump, stressing that it should come as no surprise that the US President is firmly committed to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear bomb. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. Ms Leavitt quoted Mr Trump, saying: 'Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.' Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the decision of whether the US should enter the conflict rests solely with Mr Trump. 'He'll do what's good for the United States, and I'll do what's good for the State of Israel,' the Prime Minister said, adding, 'as the saying goes — every contribution is welcome.' Mr Netanyahu's comments follow his signal that Israel has the firepower to strike all of Iran's nuclear sites, including the heavily fortified Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, buried deep beneath a mountain. 'We will achieve all our objectives and hit all of their nuclear facilities. We have the capability to do that,' he said when asked directly about Fordow. Already, Israel's campaign has targeted Iran's enrichment site at Natanz, centrifuge workshops around Tehran and a nuclear site in Isfahan. Its strikes have also killed top generals and six nuclear scientists. Iran's military leaders had vowed earlier this week that Israel would soon see more attacks. 'The operations carried out so far have been solely for the purpose of warning and deterrence,' Gen. Abdul Rahim Mousavi, the commander in chief of Iran's army, said in a video. 'The punishment operation will be carried out soon.'
Al Bawaba
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Iran-Israel showdown escalates after Israeli strike on Arak nuclear facility
Published June 19th, 2025 - 05:30 GMT NBC quoted Israeli intelligence admitting Iran's recent missile barrage left them with 'less time to prepare,' acknowledging Iran still holds ample missile stockpiles and capacity for prolonged attacks. ALBAWABA- Iranian air defenses confronted 'hostile targets' over northern Tehran Thursday night, amid claims from Israeli sources that the Arak nuclear facility was destroyed using specialized bunker-penetrating weapons, incinerating its underground infrastructure. Also Read Israel's Soroka hospital hit in latest Iranian missile barrage Satellite imagery and verified videos reveal significant damage to the reactor dome at Iran's Arak heavy water facility, attacked earlier this morning by the Israeli Air Force in what Tehran calls a dangerous new provocation. At least six precision-guided bombs struck the reactor's containment building, marking a serious escalation targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Iran has not confirmed the strike but accuses Israel of waging war on its peaceful nuclear program. Footage of Israeli jets bombing the unfinished nuclear reactor at Iran's Arak heavy water reactor complex this morning. At least 6 guided bombs hit the reactor containment building. — OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) June 19, 2025 Iranian officials lashed out at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), with the Deputy Foreign Minister accusing its Director General of silence and bias, calling him a tool of the U.S. and Israel. Tehran announced it will submit official evidence to the UN Security Council over the IAEA's alleged complicity. Meanwhile, NBC quoted Israeli intelligence admitting Iran's recent missile barrage left them with 'less time to prepare,' acknowledging Iran still holds ample missile stockpiles and capacity for prolonged attacks. Interception rates reportedly dropped from 90% to 65% in the last 24 hours. Iran's retaliatory strikes on Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Beersheva have been described as the deadliest yet, hitting key Israeli military and intelligence sites, including the Tel Aviv stock exchange and Soroka military hospital. Iran's Parliament Speaker declared, 'We've proven we can strike any target in Tel Aviv or Haifa,' blaming U.S. backing for Israel's continued aggression. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Business Standard
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Can Israel's interceptors outlast Iran's missiles as war drags on?
By Patrick Kingsley, Adam Rasgon, Ronen Bergman, Natan Odenheimer and Julian E. Barnes Aside from a potentially game-changing American intervention that shapes the fate of Iran's nuclear program, two factors will help decide the length of the Israel-Iran war: Israel's reserve of missile interceptors and Iran's stock of long-range missiles. Since Iran started retaliating against Israel's fire last week, Israel's world-leading air defense system has intercepted most incoming Iranian ballistic missiles, giving the Israeli Air Force more time to strike Iran without incurring major losses at home. Now, as the war drags on, Israel is firing interceptors faster than it can produce them. That has raised questions within the Israeli security establishment about whether the country will run low on air defense missiles before Iran uses up its ballistic arsenal, according to eight current and former officials. Already, Israel's military has had to conserve its use of interceptors and is giving greater priority to the defense of densely populated areas and strategic infrastructure, according to the officials. Most spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak more freely. Interceptors are 'not grains of rice,' said Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav, who commanded Israel's air defense system until 2021 and still serves in the military reserve. 'The number is finite.' 'If a missile is supposed to hit refineries in Haifa, it's clear that it's more important to intercept that missile than one that will hit the Negev desert,' General Kochav said. Conserving Israel's interceptors is 'a challenge,' he added. 'We can make it, but it's a challenge.' Asked for comment on the limits of its interceptor arsenal, the Israeli military said in a brief statement that it 'is prepared and ready to handle any scenario and is operating defensively and offensively to remove threats to Israeli civilians.' Image At the start of the war, some Israeli officials estimated that Iran had roughly 2,000 ballistic missiles. Between a third and a half of those have been used up, Israeli officials say — either because Iran has fired them at Israel, or because Israel has struck the caches where they were stored. Iran has begun to fire far fewer missiles in its barrages, perhaps aware that it risks running out of munitions. Iran's mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment. At the same time, Israel is also burning through its interceptors. By Wednesday morning, Iran had fired roughly 400 missiles, nearly 40 of which evaded the Israeli air defense system and hit Israeli neighborhoods, according to the Israeli military. The remaining 360 were either hit by interceptors or monitored until they fell on empty land or into the sea, the military said. Some Iranian missiles might have been hit more than once, and the total number of used interceptors is unclear. No Israeli official would divulge the number of interceptors left at Israel's disposal; the revelation of such a closely guarded secret could give Iran a military advantage. The answer will affect Israel's ability to sustain a long-term, attritional war. The nature of the war will partly be decided by whether President Trump decides to join Israel in attacking Iran's nuclear enrichment site at Fordo, in northern Iran, or whether Iran decides to give up its enrichment program to prevent such an intervention. But the war's endgame will also be shaped by how long both sides can sustain the damage to their economies, as well as the damage to national morale caused by a growing civilian death toll. Israel relies on at least seven kinds of air defense. Most of them involve automated systems that use radar to detect incoming missiles and then provide officers with suggestions of how to intercept them. Military officials have seconds to react to some short-range fire, but minutes to judge the response to long-range attacks. At times, the automated systems do not offer recommendations, leaving officers to make decisions on their own, General Kochav said. The Arrow system intercepts long-range missiles at higher altitudes; the David's Sling system intercepts them at lower altitudes; while the Iron Dome takes out shorter-range rockets, usually fired from Gaza, or the fragments of missiles already intercepted by other defense systems. The United States has supplied at least two more defense systems, some of them fired from ships in the Mediterranean, and Israel is also trying out a new and relatively untested laser beam. Finally, fighter jets are deployed to shoot down slow-moving drones. Some Israelis feel it is time to wrap up the war before Israel's defenses are tested too severely. At least 24 civilians have been killed by Iran's strikes, and more than 800 have been injured. Some key infrastructure, including oil refineries in northern Israel, has been hit, along with civilian homes. A hospital in southern Israel was struck on Thursday morning. Already high by Israeli standards, the death toll could rise sharply if the Israeli military is forced to limit its general use of interceptors in order to guarantee the long-term protection of a few strategic sites like the Dimona nuclear reactor in southern Israel or the military headquarters in Tel Aviv. 'Now that Israel has succeeded in striking most of its nuclear targets in Iran, Israel has a window of two or three days to declare the victory and end the war,' said Zohar Palti, a former senior officer in the Mossad, Israel's spy agency. 'When planning how to defend Israel in future wars, no one envisaged a scenario in which we would be fighting on so many fronts and defending against so many rounds of ballistic missiles,' said Mr. Palti, who was for years involved in Israel's defensive planning. Others are confident that Israel will be able to solve the problem by destroying most of Iran's missile launchers, preventing the Iranian military from using the stocks that it still has. Iran has both fixed and mobile launchers, scattered across its territory, according to two Israeli officials. Some of its missiles are stored underground, where they are harder to destroy, while others are in aboveground caches, the officials said. The Israeli military says it has destroyed more than a third of the launchers. Officials and experts say that has already limited the number of missiles that Iran can fire in a single attack. American officials said Israel's strikes against the launchers have decimated Iran's ability to fire its missiles and hurt its ability to create large-scale barrages. 'The real issue is the number of launchers, more than the number of missiles,' said Asaf Cohen, a former Israeli commander who led the Iran department in Israel's military intelligence directorate. 'The more of them that are hit, the harder it will be for them to launch barrages,' Mr. Cohen added. 'If they realize they have a problem with launch capacity, they'll shift to harassment: one or two missiles every so often, aimed at two different areas simultaneously.'
Time of India
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
The 20 second trick that once cost US its prized stealth fighter; can Iran learn it to hunt Israeli jets?
While the Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighters continue to pound targets after targets in Iran, the latter has been claiming to have downed at least four F-35I Adir fifth generation stealth combat aircraft. Iran also boasts of having captured two Israeli fighter pilots with one being a woman. There has been no independent confirmation of the Iranian claims with Israel, too, terming the reports of the F-35 shoot-downs as "fake news". Soon after Iranian media on June 14, 2025, reported that the country's defense forces had shot down two F-35I Adirs, Israel Defense Forces International spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani took to social media to issue a clarification. "Fake News Detector: Iran didn't shoot down any Israeli fighter jets. They are trying to create a fake victory narrative and it's not going very well," the IDF officer posted on X. According to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), one of the arms of Iranian Armed Forces , the long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system Bavar-373 was used to bring down the F-35 fighters. If Iran's claims are true, it would mark the first-ever combat loss for a fifth generation stealth fighter. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tan Dinh: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More But a stealth ground attack aircraft, although not belonging to the fifth generation, was indeed shot out of the sky more than 25 years back. The amazing military feat took place with the first prototype of what would eventually become the F-35 more than a year away from its first test flight, and many years away from entering active service. It was achieved not by employing advanced technologies, but a military officer who was daring, innovative and willing to employ unconventional strategies in pursuit of his mission. Live Events You Might Also Like: Iran claims to have hit Mossad training facility in Herzliya; Israel kills top Iranian military officer What happened with US F-117A Nighthawk stealth attack jet During the Yugoslav civil war in 1999, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ) air patrol come under fire with one US F-117A Nighthawk falling to the ground after a missile hit. Another stealth aircraft was hit during the same campaign and later declared a loss after managing to somehow reach its airbase. The F-117A was world's first stealth combat aircraft. A single pilot, twin-engine jet, the Nighthawk flew only subsonic and was developed as a ground attack aircraft. Deployed in a combat for the first time during the US invasion of Panama in 1989, the F-117A played a big role in the 1991 Gulf War, hitting hundreds of target in Iraq. Its next major deployment was during the Yugoslav civil war in the 1990s when NATO announced its forces were ready to assist in peacekeeping operations and enforce no-fly zones in the conflict-afflicted regions. As part of the deployment, NATO jets carried out bombing campaign against the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War from March 24, 1999, to June 10, 1999. US Air Force 's F-117As also took part in these bombing runs. You Might Also Like: Iran claims it shot down Israeli F-35 stealth fighter but can the undetectable be hit? The truth may shock you How a Yugoslav Army officer tracked and shot down the F-117A US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Darrell Patrick "Dale" Zelko, taking off from Italy's Aviano airbase on March 27, 1999, was carrying out a bombing run in his F-117A. His call sign was "Vega-31" and the aircraft serial number 82-0806. During his mission, he flew over Belgrade. On the ground, a few miles away from his location, was a unit of the Yugoslavian Army tasked with protecting the ground assets against NATO attacks. Lt. Col Zoltán Dani of the then existing Yugoslav army was in command of the air defense unit which had Soviet Isayev S-125 Neva/ Pechora missile system (NATO reporting name SA-3 Goa) in its arsenal. Yugoslav spies had informed Lt. Col Dani that US F-117As were in the vicinity. And, he was ready for them. Locking on to the stealthy F-117A and then firing a missile to shoot it down was at that time considered next to impossible. The Yugoslav officer was also well aware of the fatal risk of NATO targeting his radars and missile systems. Lt Col Dani goes for the kill He ordered his fellow soldiers to switch on the P-18 radar and emit lower frequencies to find out where the F-117As were. Even though the P-18 radar could not paint the stealth jet accurately, it had the capability to find out the aircraft's location approximately. Just after 20 seconds the radar was switched off as it failed to locate the jet. This was also deliberate strategy as the soldiers knew anything longer and the US jets would be able to find them out. The American High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) and smart bombs were a big threat for the air defense unit. A few minutes later, the radar came online again, and this time too for 20 seconds. Again., no success for Lt Col Dani and his soldiers. Unaware of the Yugoslav air defense unit on the ground, Lt Col Zelko was on his way back to Aviano airbase. The two adversaries had no idea what was in store for them in the next few seconds. With Lt Col Zelko's plane a few miles away, the Yugoslav soldiers switched on the radar once again as they knew that up there somewhere in the skies, the US stealth jets were flying for their mission. It was the third time and once again Lt Col Dani's men had the radar scanning the sky for only 20 seconds. But those 20 seconds proved to be fateful as the F-117A lit up their radar screen at 8:15 pm local time. The weather was poor, the F-117A was about 14 miles (23 km) away but well within range, and there were no fighter escorts. Lt Col Dani was also helped by the fact that NATO jets had been using the same route for their missions since its start three days ago. There was no SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) support for the F-117A, and most importantly, Lt Col Zelko was flying very low. Seeing the enemy jet on his radar screen led Lt Col Dani to order another soldier, Lt Col Dorde Anicic, to fire the S-125 Neva/ Pechora missiles. Within seconds two missiles were in air, chasing the F-117A which was taken by surprise. The 1961 vintage Pechoras with a range of 8 miles (13 km) raced towards the F-117A. Lt Col Zelko was able to perform an evasive maneuver as the one of the Pechoras closed in. The first missile missed the jet but the F-117A was not so lucky with the second. The detonation of the second missile led to shrapnel damaging the aircraft, and along with the shockwaves resulted in the fighter falling to the earth. It was the first-ever combat loss of a stealth aircraft, and a little more than a month later on April 30, 1999, another F-117A was hit by a Yugoslav air defence missile. The plane survived but was never flown again after it managed to land at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany.
