Israel Deploys US-Made F-35 Stealth Fighters in Largest-Ever Strike on Iran

Israel has deployed US-made F-35 stealth fighters among its fleet of 100 jets, spy planes, and refuelling aircraft to conduct its largest-ever military strike on Iran, leaving Tehran vulnerable amid escalating tensions.

The operation, dubbed “Day of Repentance,” targeted multiple military sites across Iran on Friday night as a retaliation for Tehran’s recent ballistic missile attacks against Israel.

Israel deployed its US-made F-35 fighter jets to help conduct its largest-ever strike on Iran. AFP via Getty Images

Sources reported to the Wall Street Journal that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorised the use of F-35s, Israel’s most advanced aerial weapon, to lead the operation.

The four-hour mission bombarded not only military installations but also destroyed several of Iran’s missile defence systems, creating a significant security gap for the Islamic Republic and aiming to deter future attacks on Israel.

Israel’s aircraft fired waves of missiles at military sites across Iran on Friday night. AFP via Getty Images

The strike began with Israeli jets targeting air-defence batteries in Syria and Iraq, facilitating a pathway for subsequent assaults on Iranian territory. While the precise route of the jets remains undisclosed, officials noted that they did not enter Jordanian airspace, a regional ally advocating for peace.

By 3:30 a.m. local time, the second and third waves of Israeli aircraft initiated strikes from within Iraqi airspace, targeting missile production facilities linked to Iran’s attacks on Israel earlier this year. Among the sites hit was Iran’s Parchin military base, known to have previously housed the country’s secret nuclear weapons program.

One of the military bases hit was the Khojir facility outside Tehran, a site that allegedly helped produce the missiles Iran used to attack Israel this year. AP

Iran confirmed that the attacks affected its Ilam, Khuzestan, and Tehran provinces, with satellite images indicating damage to the Tange Bijar natural gas production site in Ilam. After completing their mission without incurring losses, Israeli jets returned home, although Iran reported four of its soldiers were killed in the strikes.

Significantly, the assault avoided hitting Iran’s oil and nuclear facilities, which the US and Gulf nations had warned could provoke an all-out war in the region. In response to the strikes, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the Israeli actions, claiming they were neither as significant as Israel suggested nor as trivial as state media portrayed.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei claimed the attack dealt a blow to Iran but said it was not as big as Israel is touting. KHAMENEI.IR/AFP via Getty Images

Khamenei warned that Israel is miscalculating its understanding of Iran’s capabilities, stating, “They still haven’t been able to correctly understand the power, capability, ingenuity, and determination of the Iranian people.” He emphasised the need for Israel to recognise these factors.

In the aftermath, the US has defended Israel’s military actions, assuring that American assets in the Middle East are on standby to assist in protecting the Jewish state against any potential retaliatory attacks.