Israel’s military announced on Friday (June 13) that they had carried out a pre-emptive strike against Iran with precise airstrikes, deploying over 200 fighter jets and launching 330 missiles, including the state-of-the-art F-35I stealth fighter aircraft squadron.
Despite Iran’s claims of being fully prepared to repel attacks from Israel or the United States, the success of the “Rising Lion” operation revealed the significant gap in strength between the two sides, demonstrating Israel’s ability to penetrate Iran’s air defense system with advanced American-made aircraft and ammunition.
This attack by Israel involved Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and F-16 fighter jets, as well as Boeing’s F-15 fighter jets, targeting multiple locations within Iran, including the Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, a crucial infrastructure for Iran’s nuclear program. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, stated during a UN Security Council meeting on Friday that the ground test enrichment plant at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility had been destroyed.
Israel also stated that the airstrikes targeted the “hiding places” of senior Iranian military officials, resulting in the killing of the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces and the Commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Air Force Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh.
The “Rising Lion” operation by Israel showcased its critical operational capabilities in destroying Iran’s air defense and retaliatory capabilities, targeting medium-range systems, disrupting command networks, and penetrating nuclear facilities, according to Sayed Ghoneim, a military analyst and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi-based Institute for Global Security and Defense Affairs (IGSDA).
The Israeli version of the Lockheed Martin F-35 aircraft is known as the “Adir,” meaning “mighty” in Hebrew. With advanced stealth capabilities and tailored electronic warfare systems, the F-35I is one of the most powerful weapons in Israel’s arsenal.
According to the Israeli Defense Forces, in addition to the attacks on Iran, the F-35I fighter jets intercepted a missile launched by a Yemeni organization in 2023 and intercepted hundreds of drones, missiles, and rockets launched by Iran in a retaliatory attack in 2024.
The F-35 stores weapons and fuel internally, its sleek design and radar-absorbent coating aiding in evading detection. The flight cost of the F-35 fighter aircraft is reported to be $44,000 per hour, according to the magazine “National Interest.”
This aircraft boasts advanced stealth and information processing capabilities, capable of reaching speeds of 1.6 Mach (548.8 meters per second).
In 2016, Israel became the first country, after the United States, to procure F-35 fighter jets.
Israel has developed indigenous wings and electronic warfare systems for the F-35I, along with a high-tech helmet that displays aircraft’s airspeed, altitude, target information, and other crucial data directly on the pilot’s visor.
Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin stated on Friday, “This morning, the IDF began a pre-emptive strike on Iran’s nuclear program to prevent the Iranian regime from developing nuclear weapons in the short term.”
Ghoneim told “Newsweek,” “Iran’s air defense systems are severely lagging behind in both quality and quantity, especially amid constant technological threats from more advanced adversaries. The stealth capabilities of the F-35 fighter aircraft make it particularly difficult to detect, exposing critical vulnerabilities in the already weak Iranian air defense capabilities.”
“Newsweek” reported that the power of advanced weapons like the F-35 demonstrates that American weaponry will continue to dominate. Israel may continue launching attacks, while Iran might use ballistic missiles and drones to target Israel, possibly being intercepted by American aircraft.