In the latest phase of the conflict, the caspian sea has surfaced in claims of a new front for Israeli air operations, even as the Israeli Defense Forces publicly detailed a wider campaign of strikes across Iran and released footage it said showed attacks against the Iranian Navy.
The Israeli Defense Forces said it carried out airstrikes in western and central Iran over the past day, describing more than 200 targets hit. Separately, the military released footage on Thursday it said showed strikes against the Iranian Navy. Alongside these official statements, an unconfirmed claim circulated that the Israeli Air Force struck Iranian military targets in the Caspian Sea area for the first time during the war.
What has the IDF confirmed about strikes in Iran and the Caspian Sea?
The IDF announced on Wednesday that Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck over 200 Iranian regime targets in western and central Iran over the past day. The stated targets included sites used to store and launch ballistic missiles and UAVs, air defense systems, ballistic missile launchers, and weapon production sites.
In the same set of statements, the IDF described the aim of the strikes as reducing the scope of fire toward the State of Israel and expanding the Israeli Air Force’s aerial superiority in Iran.
On the question of the caspian sea, no Israeli officials have confirmed claims that Israeli aircraft struck Iranian military targets there. The unconfirmed nature of that assertion stands in contrast to the IDF’s detailed descriptions of strikes in other parts of Iran.
Which targets did the IDF say were hit, and what purpose did it describe?
The IDF said it completed a round of strikes across Tehran on Tuesday, including attacks it described as directed against several command centers used by the regime’s security forces. It named specific sites it said were targeted: the IRGC Security Unit’s headquarters, a General Logistics and Support Department of Internal Security Forces maintenance center, and a ballistic missile array command center. The IDF also said several air defense systems were destroyed.
In describing the campaign, the IDF said “the completed strikes are part of a phase aimed at further deepening the damage to the core systems and foundations of the Iranian terror regime. ” The military framed the strikes as a step in a larger operational sequence, pairing tactical destruction of launch and production sites with efforts to disrupt command and support infrastructure.
What footage did Israel release, and what deaths did officials confirm?
The Israeli Defense Forces released footage on Thursday it said showed strikes against the Iranian Navy, a move that adds a visual layer to its public messaging about the conflict. The footage release came as the military’s statements described a broadening set of targets beyond launch sites and air defenses.
In addition to strike claims, the IDF and Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed the killing of Ali Larijani, identified as the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in a targeted Israeli airstrike in Iran overnight on Tuesday.
The IDF also confirmed it had assassinated Gholamreza Soleimani, identified as the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Basij paramilitary militia, and his deputy, Seyyed Karishi. The military said the two were killed in a makeshift tent area, which it described as being set up to make it harder to follow them than if they had been based in their headquarters.
Image caption (alt text): Unconfirmed reports point to Israeli Air Force operations near the Caspian Sea as the IDF details more than 200 strikes across Iran.
