An Iranian flag is pictured near in a missile during a military drill, with the participation of Iran’s Air Defense units, Iran October 19, 2020. Photo: WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/Files

i24 News – The Israeli military continues its intense operations against Iran, with senior IDF officials offering new details during a morning briefing on Sunday.

According to the IDF, more than 80 targets in Tehran alone have been struck over the past 50 hours of military activity, with a particular focus on missile production and nuclear infrastructure.

An IDF official emphasized the sharp difference between Israel’s targeting strategy and that of Iran and its regional proxies.

“Iran and Yemen are deliberately targeting civilian areas as part of their strategy. In contrast, we are focusing only on military and nuclear facilities,” the official said.

The official revealed that prior to the current conflict, Iran was preparing to significantly expand its ballistic missile capabilities, with plans to produce up to 8,000 ballistic missiles in the near future. The Israeli strikes aim to cripple this production capacity before it could pose a larger threat.

Among the sites targeted are two dual-use facilities, including one in the Bandar Abbas zone. The IDF described its ongoing campaign as “missile hunting,” designed to systematically degrade Iran’s missile launch and production capabilities.

While the operation has made significant progress, the IDF acknowledged that the mission remains complex. “We knew it wouldn’t be a short or easy mission. Iran has a large stockpile of ballistic missiles, but we are operating to limit their capacity to strike us as much as possible,” the official said.

When pressed about interception rates, the IDF stated that no exact numbers are available yet, as the situation remains fluid with hundreds of missiles and UAVs involved. However, Israeli air defense systems have been performing effectively, though not perfectly.

The IDF also declined to comment on whether Israel is utilizing foreign bases or facilities in its offensive, stating only that “this is an Israeli operation.”

Looking ahead, the IDF warned that Iran’s damaged nuclear facilities could take months or even longer to repair. Israeli officials continue to stress that the goal of the campaign is to eliminate any existential threat to Israel. “We did not start this conflict. Iran has declared itself at war with Israel for years,” the official stated, calling recent Iranian statements “silly.”

The ongoing Israeli operation comes as Iran continues its own strikes, including last night’s salvo of more than 70 missiles and dozens of drones launched toward Israel, many of which targeted civilian areas.