An Israeli security official told Fox News on Friday afternoon that Israel was able to eliminate Iran’s top air force commanders by tricking them into gathering at the underground facility that was subsequently targeted in a precision strike.
“We carried out specific activities to help us learn more about them, and then used that information to influence their behavior,” the official told the outlet. “We knew this would lead them to meet — but more importantly, we knew how to keep them there.”
Earlier in the day, the IDF announced it had killed Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ (IRGC) Aerospace Forces, along with other senior officers, including the head of its drone command and the commander of its air defense division.
According to the military, IDF intelligence identified that the IRGC air force leadership was meeting in an underground bunker to coordinate a potential strike against Israel. The site was then hit by Israeli fighter jets.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump continued signaling Washington’s support for the Israeli strike on Iran. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump confirmed that he and his team were briefed ahead of the operation. When asked what kind of advance notice the U.S. received, Trump replied: “Heads-up? It wasn’t a heads-up. It was, we know what’s going on.”
Trump said he spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday and planned to speak with him again Friday. He described the Israeli operation as “a very successful attack, to say the least,” and reiterated his earlier ultimatum to Tehran.
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Footage of strikes against Iranian missile depots
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
“I told the other side, I said, you have 60 days to make the deal. On the 61st day, they attacked. Today is 61 actually, and it was a very successful attack. They should have made a deal and they still can make a deal while they have something left— they still can.”
When asked about potential market impacts, Trump said, “I think ultimately, it would be great for the market because Iran will not have a nuclear weapon," he said. "It will be great for the market—should be the greatest thing ever for the market. Iran won't have a nuclear weapon that was a great threat to humanity."
Separately, the Associated Press reported Friday that the U.S. is repositioning assets in the Middle East in response to the Israeli strike and in preparation for a possible Iranian response. The shift includes naval deployments.
The USS Thomas Hudner has been ordered to head toward the eastern Mediterranean and another destroyer has been told to move forward so it can be used if the White House deems it necessary.
Two other U.S. officials told CNN that the Israeli operation raises the possibility that Israel is seeking regime change in Tehran. One official said U.S. intelligence has long assessed regime change to be a broader goal of Israel’s leadership.
While no formal intelligence indicates that regime change was the primary objective of this particular strike, a source familiar with the intelligence told the network that some in the U.S. government believe Israel sees this as an opportunity to pursue it. One official said it’s unclear whether the Trump administration would support such a move.