IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir revealed Wednesday that ground commando units, alongside Mossad operatives, conducted covert operations inside Iran during the war. His remarks mark the first official acknowledgment of IDF special forces acting on Iranian soil in the context of the 12-day conflict.
“We achieved full control over Iranian airspace and every location we chose to operate in,” Zamir said in a special statement. “This was made possible in part due to the integration and deception carried out by air and ground commando forces.”
Zamir also addressed the strategic impact of the campaign, describing the damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear program as “not a pinpoint strike but a systemic blow.” Citing Military Intelligence assessments, he said the accumulated achievements of the operation mean “Iran’s nuclear program suffered severe, widespread and deep damage, setting it back by years. We will not allow Iran to develop weapons of mass destruction.”
At the start of his remarks, Zamir paid tribute to seven IDF combat engineers killed in Khan Younis in southern Gaza the night before. “Yesterday, during a preliminary debrief of Operation Rising Lion, I was handed a note bearing the devastating news of the deaths of seven of our soldiers in Gaza,” he said.
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“As chief of staff, it is my duty to stand before you in times of great success, and also in the most painful and difficult moments,” he continued. “I embrace the families of the fallen and, on behalf of the IDF, offer our deepest condolences. These soldiers fell in battle in Gaza as part of an ongoing multi-front campaign to defend the State of Israel.”
Earlier, Zamir met with President Isaac Herzog during a visit to the military’s C4I and Cyber Defense Directorate base, where the military chief praised the unit’s crucial role in the war with Iran and hinted at cyber operations behind enemy lines.
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President Isaac Herzog and Zamir at the IDF C4I and Cyber Defense Directorate base
(Photo: IDF)
“There are things we can’t talk about, things we can’t disclose,” Zamir said during the visit. “But what was done here was part of the extraordinary achievement of the IDF. The work here was incredibly impressive—high quality, highly professional—and reflected the sharp minds and deep expertise of the people in this unit.”
He added that several surprises delivered on the battlefield, in both offensive and defensive operations, were conceived and executed by the unit. “Some of the surprises we delivered on the battlefield — both offensive and defensive — were born right here,” Zamir said.
The chief of staff noted that "we aimed high, and we surpassed that goal.” He thanked the cyber division for its critical role in those gains, which both he and Herzog described as historic. “You are full partners in this achievement,” Zamir said.
Speaking to the soldiers, Zamir stressed the importance of staying grounded despite the recent victories. “As I told the General Staff yesterday: we keep our feet on the ground, proud of what we’ve done, and focused on the key challenges that remain,” he said. “We must continue to move forward, to lead, and to confront the many missions still ahead.”
President Herzog praised the military’s unity and professionalism, saying it served as a model for Israeli society. “The IDF sets a powerful example — in olive-green uniforms, we lay aside our internal disagreements, our diverse opinions and the issues that divide us,” he said. “We are united in mission. And even now, in the aftermath of fierce battle, we must begin thinking about how to reach national consensus on the most difficult and sensitive questions."