Israeli covert ops and airstrikes crippled Iran’s ability to respond swiftly — Axios

An extensive Israeli air and intelligence operation preempted a major Iranian counterattack, according to a report by Axios citing Israeli officials.

As Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air force commanders convened in a bunker to coordinate a response to the anticipated Israeli strike, Israeli intelligence, aware of both the emergency protocol and the bunker’s location, destroyed the facility. The strike killed senior IRGC figures, including the heads of Iran’s drone and air defense programs.

The Israeli operation targeted Iran’s military command-and-control systems across the country. Among those killed were top commanders of the IRGC, Iran’s military, and the national emergency HQ.

"The fact that there was nobody to give the order neutralized an immediate Iranian response," an Israeli official said.

Simultaneously, Israel’s Mossad conducted sabotage operations inside Iran. Axios reports that Mossad units deployed hidden weapon systems near air defense positions and established a drone base inside Iran well ahead of the strike. When activated, these assets destroyed missile launchers and air defense sites, including at Esfajabad base near Tehran.

The Israeli Air Force, having pre-mapped Iran’s radar and missile defense systems, struck most of them in the operation’s opening phase, reportedly achieving near-total air superiority.

According to Israeli assessments cited by Axios, the initial goal was to prevent Iran from launching a salvo of 300–500 ballistic missiles. Instead, Iran responded hours later with around 100 drones, most of which were intercepted.

Israeli officials expect that Iran may still attempt a large-scale retaliation. “We think they want to prepare a significant missile barrage that would be big and coordinated in order to try and overwhelm our missile defense systems,” an official told Axios.