Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar revealed Wednesday evening in a letter to his subordinates about Operation Roaring Lion in Iran that “fighters from the Air Force’s special units are currently carrying out extraordinary missions that could ignite the imagination.” The remark may hint that operatives from the elite Shaldag unit are operating on Iranian soil.
“Already in the opening strike we eliminated senior figures in the political and security leadership of the ayatollah regime, foremost among them Iran’s leader, the murderer Ali Khamenei. With the assistance of precise intelligence and some of the most advanced operational capabilities in the world, we flew over Tehran, striking with force the institutions of the Iranian terror regime and its command-and-control headquarters,” Bar wrote.
“We continue to target the enemy’s fire arrays, infrastructure and strategic capabilities, with the aim of reducing missile and drone barrages, disrupting their launches toward Israel’s home front and defending our civilians," he added. "The intensified pressure is bearing fruit. We are identifying a decline in the scope of fire, cumulative damage to the enemy’s capabilities and increasing erosion of its power. At the same time, our air superiority is consolidating and expanding.”
Bar addressed both active-duty and reserve Air Force personnel. “I want to salute you for your courage, your daring and your determination to engage in both offense and steadfast defense. Hour by hour you are writing another chapter of heroism in the history of the State of Israel," he wrote. "The freedom of action you have achieved is a strategic asset for us all. The citizens of the state place their full trust in us and look to you knowing that the Air Force is a swift, precise and resolute arrow.”
At the end of June, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir disclosed that ground commando forces — not only Mossad operatives — had operated covertly in Iran during the 12-day war as part of Operation Rising Lion. “We achieved full control of the skies over Iran and everywhere we chose to operate. This was made possible, among other things, by joint operations and deception carried out by air forces and ground commando units,” he said in a special statement.
Mossad operational team seen deploying precision strike systems intended to destroy Iranian air defense systems, inside Iran in June
(Video: Mossad)
It can be assumed that Zamir was referring to special commando forces from elite units tasked with target designation and intelligence gathering in enemy territory, deployed covertly in Iran. These ground forces may also have conducted numerous deception and diversion operations to help the Air Force operate more freely.
This activity was in addition to operations by Mossad agents on Iranian soil, which were unusually disclosed after the opening strike of the campaign. In unprecedented footage released on the first day of the operation, a Mossad operational team was seen deploying precision strike systems intended to destroy Iranian air defense systems, followed by their destruction using precision missiles smuggled into the Islamic Republic in a covert operation by Israeli intelligence. The footage also showed missile and surface-to-surface launcher strikes carried out with explosive drones inserted by the Mossad in the Tehran area.
First published: 20:15, 03.04.26