Israel Clears Path for Potential Strike on Iran's Nuclear Sites

Asharq Al-Awsat

10 hours ago

Israel's top military officials on Saturday issued a stark warning that the path to Tehran is now 'paved,' signaling the possibility of a broader confrontation with Iran that could include strikes on additional nuclear sites.
The comments by Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, and Air Force Commander Tomer Bar came after a high-level security assessment meeting, following what Israeli media described as a dramatic and unprecedented aerial assault on Iranian territory late Friday and early Saturday.
The Israeli military confirmed in a statement that the air force had launched a wave of airstrikes on dozens of targets in the Iranian capital, including infrastructure linked to surface-to-air missile systems.
'In accordance with our operational plans, our aircraft have begun targeting sites in Tehran,' the military said.
Bar confirmed the strikes, saying they were aimed at degrading Iran's air defense capabilities in the Tehran area. 'Dozens of Israeli warplanes flew over Tehran for the first time since the start of the conflict, striking multiple defensive systems,' he said, adding that operations will continue across all fronts.
'These were precision strikes of operational and national significance, aimed at enhancing our air superiority and freedom of action deep inside Iran,' Bar said.
'We chose to act with professionalism, determination, and accuracy in confronting an existential threat to the safety of our citizens. This is the first time such a number of Israeli aircraft have operated over Tehran, more than 1,500 kilometers from our borders.'
The military said the strikes delivered a direct blow to the Iranian regime's air defense infrastructure near Tehran.
The reference to a 'paved road' to the Iranian capital echoed that assessment — interpreted by analysts as a message that Israel now views Tehran as within reach of sustained military operations.
Israel's recent airstrikes on Iran were carefully designed to dismantle Tehran's air defenses and long-range strike capabilities, with analysts saying the country's nuclear facilities — considered the ultimate target — were not the immediate priority.
Military affairs commentator Avi Ashkenazi wrote in Maariv that while Iran's nuclear sites remain Israel's top strategic objective, they were not the most urgent threat.
Instead, the Israeli Air Force focused on two primary axes in its latest operation: neutralizing Iran's air defense systems and destroying its capabilities to launch ballistic missiles and armed drones.
Ashkenazi said the air campaign was initially devised by Halevi and Bar, and later refined with current military chief Zamir. The targets were prioritized based on the immediacy of the threat, rather than long-term strategic importance.
Israel's Channel 12 correspondent Nir Dvori reported that among the targets hit during the strikes was a hangar housing fighter jets, underscoring a wider plan to expand operations inside Iranian territory.
Dvori added that within a day of launching the assault, the Israeli Air Force had successfully 'cleared the path' to Tehran, now operating freely in Iranian airspace without facing resistance.
The earlier comments by Zamir and Bar about a 'paved road' to Tehran were widely interpreted as confirmation of this operational freedom.
A separate Channel 12 report said Israeli forces completed the destruction of several air defense systems en route to Tehran, effectively 'clearing the way' and removing key threats.
This, it said, would pave the way for future strikes of varying scope, targeting a wider range of objectives inside the Iranian capital based on years of military planning and capability development.
Meanwhile, Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Israeli military had destroyed the majority of Iran's air defense batteries, while Israel's public broadcaster KAN said the unprecedented operation allowed Israeli warplanes to fly at various altitudes over Tehran with minimal interference.
The broadcaster added that taking out Iranian air defenses was currently Israel's most urgent military priority.