Israel, June 18: The Israeli military on Monday released video footage purporting to show airstrikes on two F-14 fighter jets stationed at an airport in Tehran, as tensions with Iran surged following days of intensifying cross-border hostilities.
In a statement on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the fighter jets were “intended to intercept Israeli aircraft” and described the strikes as part of recent operations over Iranian territory.
The IDF also claimed it had thwarted a drone attack aimed at Israel, eliminating what it described as a launch cell just minutes before unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were deployed. The team had been identified by Israeli intelligence while setting up launchers and weapons, the military said.
The strikes are part of a wider Israeli military campaign launched Friday that targeted locations across Iran, including in Tehran and near the city of Qom. Among the objectives were critical infrastructure sites and a nuclear enrichment facility approximately 30 kilometers from Qom. The attacks reportedly killed senior Iranian military officials and nuclear scientists, though casualty numbers have not been independently verified.
Iran responded with a massive retaliatory barrage, launching hundreds of drones and missiles toward Israeli targets in what has become one of the most serious confrontations between the two regional adversaries in years.
In a televised message on Saturday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the Israeli strikes and vowed “forceful” revenge. “They started this and initiated the war,” he said. “We won’t allow them to escape unscathed from this great crime they have committed.”
The escalating conflict has raised alarm across the region, with several Middle Eastern countries temporarily closing airports and restricting airspace amid fears of broader confrontation.
Israel has not commented on the broader strategic aims of its campaign but maintains that its actions are aimed at dismantling Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities. There has been no immediate comment from Iran’s government regarding the latest Israeli claims. The situation remains fluid.
